Assessment of the psychometric properties of the AQoL-4D questionnaire in Kannada language for use with adults with hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to validate the translated (Kannada language) version of the Assessment of Quality of Life-4 Dimensions (AQoL-4D) questionnaire for use in Kannada speaking adults with hearing loss.

DESIGN

The study involved a cross-sectional survey design. The original (English) and the translated versions of the AQoL-4D questionnaire along with two other questionnaires, that is, the Hearing Handicap Questionnaire and the Participation Scale were self-administered by the study participants. The Kannada AQoL-4D was filled in twice by roughly 50% of the study sample in two sessions that were 15 d apart.

STUDY SAMPLE

In total, 103 Kannada-English biliterate adults with hearing loss participated in the study.

RESULTS

Overall analysis involved testing the factor structure and various psychometric properties including the internal consistency, discriminant validity, convergent validity and possible floor/ceiling effects. The factor analysis indicated a four-factor structure, and the overall results showed acceptable psychometric properties of the scores of the full scale. However, poor internal consistency was obtained for three out of the four subscales extracted from the questionnaire.

CONCLUSION

Based on the internal consistency of the subscales, we recommend using either the full scale or only the first subscale in Kannada speaking adults with hearing loss.