Voice Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (V-RQOL): Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability of the Azerbaijani-Turkish Version.

Abstract

Objectives: There is no Azerbaijani-Turkish scale for assessing voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL). This study aimed to adapt the V-RQOL questionnaire to Azerbaijani-Turkish and evaluate its validity and reliability through cross-cultural adaptation.

Study design: A cross-sectional and prospective validation design was adopted.

Methods: The V-RQOL was translated and culturally adapted into the Azerbaijani-Turkish language according to the methodology of standard forward-backward translations to obtain semantic, idiomatic, and conceptual equivalence. The study included 160 participants, with 80 having voice disorders and 80 not having voice disorders. Content validity with four experts through cognitive interviewing and face validity and the pilot study with 10 voice patients was performed. The construct validity was calculated by comparing the total score of the Azerbaijani-Turkish version of V-RQOL (AT-VRQOL) with the self-assessment results. The internal consistency of V-RQOL was examined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. To calculate the test-retest reliability coefficient, the AT-VRQOL was completed twice by 30 participants, including 20 with voice disorders and 10 without voice disorders, at intervals of 2 weeks.

Results: Differences in the V-RQOL scores between participants with and without voice disorders were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The construct validity results showed that the total score of V-RQOL with the self-assessment results is correlated (r = 0.88, P < 0.001). The area under the curve value from the receiver operating characteristic curve was 100. The optimal cut-off point was 21.25, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 100%. The AT-VRQOL had high internal consistency, indicating excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.98). The total V-RQOL scores obtained from the two administrations of the test-retest reliability were examined. It was found that there was a high degree of correlation between the scores obtained in the two administrations (r = 0.99, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The AT-VRQOL is a valid and reliable scale that can assess patients with voice disorders in a simple, easy, rapid way to apply and not time-consuming.