title: The Norwegian Voice Handicap Index (VHI-N) patient scores are dependent on voice-related disease group.
abstract: The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the Voice Handicap Index-Norwegian (VHI-N) is scored depending on specific laryngological disease. In a multi-center study, 126 healthy subjects and 355 patients with different voice-related diseases answered the VHI-N. The VHI-N scores showed high Cronbach's alpha. Analyses of variance were performed with VHI-N dependent and specific voice-related disease as independent variable, and showed highly significant dependence by group allocation (F(7,461) = 28.0; p < 0.001). When studying post hoc analyses secondary to this ANOVA analysis, we have shown that the control group scored lower than the entire patient groups (all p < 0.001) except the dysplasia group. Aphonic patients scored higher than all the other groups (all p < 0.001) except those with spasmodic dysphonia. The cancer patient group furthermore scored lower than patient groups with recurrent palsy, dysfunctional disease or spasmodic dysphonia (all p < 0.001). In addition, patients with recurrent palsy scored higher than patients with degenerative/inflammatory disease (p < 0.001). No influences of patient age, gender, or smoking were observed in the VHI-N scores. The VHI-N is a psychometrically well-functioning instrument, also at disease-specific levels and discriminates well between health and voice diseases, as well as between different voice-related diseases. The VHI-N may be recommended to be used when monitoring voice-related disease treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Language, Statped Vest, Bedriftssenter, PO Box 6039, 5892, Bergen, Norway, tom.karlsen@statped.no.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karlsen
authors.forename: John-Helge
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heimdal
authors.forename: Anne Rita Hella
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Grieg
authors.forename: Hans Jørgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Aarstad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D011594:Psychometrics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014833:Voice Quality