Arabic abbreviated version of pediatric voice handicap index (Preliminary study)

Background and Objectives: The Pediatric Voice Handicap Index (VHI) is a valid tool for assessing self-perceived voice handicap in children. We developed an Arabic abbreviated version of pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI) for future use in Arab pediatric population. Setting and Design: The study was conducted on nondysphonic children at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: The original English pediatric VHI which is composed of 23-items was shortened to 10-items and translated into Arabic by a committee of two Pediatric Otolaryngologists and one Phoniatrician. The translated Arabic version was administered to the parents of 137 children without voice disorders or communication disorders. Results: The subjects of our study had low scores which were comparable with control groups of different worldwide pediatric VHI studies. Also, there was an insignificant effect of gender on VHI subscales (P > 0.025). Obviously, the validity of these results may be limited by the absence of another dysphonic group. However, the preliminary results have encouraged us to report it and when a dysphonic group is available it will be possible to better validate this pVHI in term of performance. Conclusion: Arabic version of the pVHI is a valuable tool for voice specialists dealing with Arabic speaking children. Future testing of our developed Arabic abbreviated pVHI with dysphonic groups to confirm its reliability in differentiating control subjects from dysphonic subjects is recommended.