Translation and Validation of Hearing Handicap Inventory in Adults in Hindi Language

Abstract

Context: At present, various questionnaires are being used to assess the effect of hearing loss on quality of life. Majority of questionnaires assessing hearing handicap in adults are in English language, whereas Indian population is predominantly Hindi speaking. Hence, the study is aimed at developing a questionnaire in Hindi language, assessing the impact of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (USNHL) on quality of life. Aim: The aim of the study is to translate Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) into Hindi language and to validate it for evaluating the impact of USNHL on quality of life. Settings and Design: This is a cross-sectional study of 15 patients at ENT outpatient department of a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: A previously validated questionnaire – HHIA – was translated into Hindi. Fifteen patients of USNHL were evaluated using this translated questionnaire – HHIA-Hindi (HHIA-H). The responses were analyzed, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated to measure the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Results: The Cronbach's alpha score for HHIA-H was found to be 0.895 (0.829 for emotional subscale and 0.848 for social subscale), which is significant, and hence it shows good internal consistency. Conclusion: HHIA-H showed good internal consistency, and it can be recommended to be used for assessing the impact of USNHL on the quality of life.