title: A speech reception in noise test for preschool children (the Galker-test): Validity, reliability and acceptance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates initial validity and reliability of the "Galker test of speech reception in noise" developed for Danish preschool children suspected to have problems with hearing or understanding speech against strict psychometric standards and assesses acceptance by the children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Galker test is an audio-visual, computerised, word discrimination test in background noise, originally comprised of 50 word pairs. Three hundred and eighty eight children attending ordinary day care centres and aged 3-5 years were included. With multiple regression and the Rasch item response model it was examined whether the total score of the Galker test validly reflected item responses across subgroups defined by sex, age, bilingualism, tympanometry, audiometry and verbal comprehension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 370 children (95%) accepted testing and 339 (87%) completed all 50 items. The analysis showed that 35 items fitted the Rasch model. Reliability was 0.75 before and after exclusion of the 15 non-fitting items. In the stepwise linear regression model age group of children could explain 20% of the variation in Galker-35-score, sex 1%, second language at home 4%, tympanometry in best ear 2%, and parental education another 2%. Other variable did not reach significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Galker-35 was well accepted by children down to the age of 3 years and results indicate that the scale represents construct valid and reliable measurement.
authors.affiliation: The Research Unit for General Practice, Centre of Health and Society, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Maj-Britt Glenn
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Lauritsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Svend
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kreiner
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.affiliation: Section for Health Informatics, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dørup
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, JB Winsløw Vej 9A, Odense, Denmark. Electronic address: jlous@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lous
mesh_terms: D001299:Audiometry; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012043:Regression, Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013060:Speech; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Day-care children; Rash test; Reliability; Speech-in-noise; Validity