Validation of the Mandarin Chinese Version of the Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life (pVRQOL)

Abstract

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to adapt and validate the English version of the pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life questionnaire into Mandarin Chinese, and to determine the cutoff point for screening children with and without voice disorders. Methods: A total of 377 parents were enrolled from May 2016 to June 2017, including 195 parents of children with voice disorder (patient group)and 182 parents of children without voice disorder (control group). The internal consistency, test-retest, contents and clinical validity, and sensitivity and specificity were analyzed. The clinical cutoff point was determined. Results: The questionnaire showed strong internal consistency in the patient group (α = 0.89 for the total score, α = 0.88 for the social-emotional domain, and α = 0.81 for the physical functioning domain)and good test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.93), as well as moderate to strong contents validity (r = 0.72–0.95). The total score and subscales scores in the patient group were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.001). The mean score of the physical functioning domain was lower than that of the social-emotional domain in the patient group. The clinical cutoff point was 96.25 (sensitivity = 78.0%, specificity = 100.0%). Conclusion: The Mandarin Chinese version of pediatric Voice-related Quality of Life questionnaire was a valid and reliable questionnaire, which can be used as a screening test for the pediatric population with and without voice disorders.