Validity of a filipino translation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the validity and reliability of a Filipino translation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), a self-report measure of tinnitus handicap.

DESIGN

Psychometric cross-sectional validation Study sample: Seventy-five patients, aged 18-82 with tinnitus recruited consecutively at the Ear Unit of the Philippine General Hospital after receiving assessment at the Ear, Nose, and Throat-Out Patient Department.

RESULTS

The THI-PH showed robust internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), only slightly lower than the original version (THI-US Cronbach's alpha = 0.93), and its Danish (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93), Portuguese (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94), and German (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93) translations. Two of the subscales, the Functional and Emotional subscales, also showed good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86 and Cronbach's alpha = 0.82, respectively). The Catastrophic subscale showed poorer internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.63) due to the shorter number of items in that scale.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study suggest that the THI-PH is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to quantify the effects of tinnitus on the quality of life of Filipino tinnitus patients.