Psychometric properties of the Vocal Fatigue Index – Thai Version
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Voice disorders can be found in many scenarios. Many people have experienced vocal problems in their lifetime. Such problems can occur occasionally or permanently during the course of life. Previous literature review showed that vocal fatigue usually occurs concurrently with voice disorders, though it could occur alone as well. Vocal fatigue is considered the first symptom of a vocal problem and usually improves after voice rest. Detecting vocal fatigue before an individual develops a voice disorder is extremely important.
Objectives: This study aims to 1) translate the original VFI into the Thai version and 2) evaluate the psychometric properties of VFI-TH, including content validity, face validity, predictive validity (sensitivity and specificity), and reliability.
Materials and methods: Participants in this study consisted of two groups comprising one group of 22 participants with voice disorders and another group of 60 participants with healthy voices. The age of participants was 18 years and older.
Procedures: Cross-cultural protocol of translation was followed per Beaton, which consisted of five steps: Initial translation, synthesis of the translation, back translation, expert committee review, and pretesting. This study was divided into 2 phases. Phase I consisted of the first three steps of Beaton’s guideline, while Phase II was the evaluation of psychometric properties; content validity by expert committee review, face validity by data trial in ten participants with voice disorders, predictive validity through sensitivity and specificity by formula calculation, and reliability were examined by evaluating internal consistency through Cronbach’s Alpha co-efficiency.
Results: The results showed that the VFI-TH had content validity, face validity, and predictive validity. For predictive validity, the percentages of sensitivity and specificity were 22.7 and 100, respectively, and internal consistency was 0.87-0.94, which meant very good or excellent.
Conclusion: The VFI-TH had content validity, specificity, and reliability to detect vocal fatigue. However, the VFI-TH should be used along with other vocal assessments in adults aged 18 years and older.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Personal views expressed by the contributors in their articles are not necessarily those of the Journal of Associated Medical Sciences, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University.
References
Anand S, Bottalico P, Gray C. Vocal fatigue in prospective vocal professionals. Journal of Voice. 2021; 35(2): 247-58.
Hunter EJ, Titze IR. Variations in intensit4, fundamental frequency, and voicing for teachers in occupational versus nonoccupational settings. 2010.
Gao Y, Dietrich M, DeSouza GN. Classification of vocal fatigue using sEMG: Data imbalance, normalization, and the role of Vocal Fatigue Index scores. Appl Sci. 2021; 11(10): 4335.
Lee L, Stemple JC, Glaze L, Kelchner LN. Quick screen for voice and supplementary documents for identifying pediatric voice disorders. 2004.
Boone DR. The Voice and Voice Therapy. 8th ed: Allyn & Bacon/ Pearson; 2010. 344 p.
Aronson AE, Bless DM. Clinical Voice Disorders. 4th ed: Thieme; 2009. 301 p.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Definitions of communication disorders and variations [Relevant Paper] 1993 [cited 2018 May 25,]. Available from: https://www.asha.org/policy/rp1993-00208/.
Colton R, Casper J, Leonard R. Understanding Voice Problems: A Physiological Perspective for Diagnosis and Treatment. 4th ed: Wolters Kluwer Health Adis (ESP); 2011. 494 p.
Stemple JC, Glaze L, Klaben BK. Clinical voice pathology: Theory and management. 4th ed: Plural Publishing; 2010. 426 p.
Verdolini K, Ramig LO. Occupational risks for voice problems. Logoped Phoniatr Vocology. 2001; 26(1): 37-46.
Verdolini K, Rosen CA, Branski RC, Andrews ML, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Special Interest Division 3 V, Disorders V. Classification Manual for Voice Disorders-I. 1st ed: Lawrence Erlbaum; 2006. 284 p.
Hunter EJ, Cantor-Cutiva LC, van Leer E, Van Mersbergen M, Nanjundeswaran CD, Bottalico P, et al. Toward a consensus description of vocal effort, vocal load, vocal loading, and vocal fatigue. J Speech, Lang Hear Res. 2020; 63(2): 509-32.
Hillman RE, Zañartu M, Ghassemi M, Mehta DD, Van Stan JH, Cheyne II HA, et al., editors. Future directions in the development of ambulatory monitoring for clinical voice assessment. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research; 2013.
Nanjundeswaran C, Jacobson BH, Gartner-Schmidt J, Abbott KV. Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI): development and validation. Journal of Voice. 2015; 29(4): 433-40.
Zambon F, Moreti F, Nanjundeswaran C, Behlau M. Cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian version of the Vocal Fatigue Index–VFI. CoDAS. 2017; 29(2): e20150261.
Latoszek BBv, Auner M, Graf S. Cross-cultural adaption and validation of the vocal fatigue index in German. Journal of Voice. 2021; 35(1): 161. e1-. e13.
Srinivas S, Mahalingam S, Boominathan P. Cultural and linguistic adaptation of vocal fatigue index for tamil-speaking population (VFI-T). Journal of Voice. 2021; 35(4): 662. e1-. e8.
Athira UR, Devadas U. Adaptation and validation of Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) to Malayalam language. Journal of Voice. 2020; 34(5): 810. e19-. e24.
Naderifar E, Moradi N, Farzadi F, Tahmasebi N, Soltani M, Latifi SM, et al. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the vocal fatigue index into Persian. Journal of Voice. 2019; 33(6): 947. e35-. e41.
Şirin S, Öğüt MF, Bilgen C. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Vocal Fatigue Index. Turk J Med Sci. 2020; 50(4): 902-9.
Kwong E, Tsang M-LC. Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Hong Kong-Chinese Version of Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI (HK)). Journal of Voice. 2021.
Bonetti A, Bonetti L, Čipčić O. Self-Assessment of Vocal Fatigue in Muscle Tension Dysphonia and Vocal Nodules: A Preliminary Analysis of the Discriminatory Potential of the Croatian Adaptation of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-C). Journal of Voice. 2021; 35(2): 325. e1-. e15.
Kang Y, Chang JW, Koo BS. Relationship between Voice Fatigue and Voice Assessment in Patients with Voice Disorders and Applicability of Voice Fatigue Index in Korean Version. Korean J Otorhinolaryngolo-Head and Neck Surg. 2017; 60(5): 232-42.
Shiromoto O, Suematsu M. Reliability and Validity of Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) in Japanese Version (Vocal Fatigue Index): Study of Patients with Dysphonia and Healthy Young to Middle-Aged Adults. Japan J Logop Phoniatr. 2020; 61(1): 50-60.
Beaton DE, Bombardier C, Guillemin F, Ferraz MB. Guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. Spine. 2000; 25(24): 3186-91.
Punnee Pitisuttithum, Chayan Picheansoonthon. Textbook of clinical research. Bangkok: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University; 2011. 600 p.
Jariya Lertakyamanee, Pradit Somprakit, Ubolrat Santawat. Clinical research. 2nd ed. Bangkok: Paisansil Printing; 2001. 168 p.
Trevethan R. Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predictive Values: Foundations, Pliabilities, and Pitfalls in Research and Practice. Front Public Health. 2017; 5.
Parikh R, Mathai A, Parikh S, Sekhar GC, Thomas R. Understanding and using sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Indian J of ophthalmology. 2008; 56(1): 45.
Solomon NP. Vocal fatigue and its relation to vocal hyperfunction. Int J Speech Lang Pathol. 2008; 10(4): 254-66.
Sivasankar M. Effects of vocal fatigue on voice parameters of Indian Teachers. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002; 54(3): 245-7.
Hunter EJ, Banks RE. Gender Differences in the Reporting of Vocal Fatigue in Teachers as Quantified by the Vocal Fatigue Index. Ann of Otol, Rhin Laryngol. 2017; 126(12): 813-8.
Nanjundeswaran C, VanSwearingen J, Abbott KV. Metabolic mechanisms of vocal fatigue. Journal of Voice. 2017; 31(3): 378. e1-. e11.
House SA, Fisher EL. Hoarseness in adults. American family physician. 2017; 96(11): 720-8.
Schacter DL. The seven sins of memory: insights from psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Am Psychol. 1999; 54(3): 182.
Niebudek-Bogusz E, Sznurowska-Przygocka B, Fiszer M, Kotyło P, Sinkiewicz A, Modrzewska M, et al. The effectiveness of voice therapy for teachers with dysphonia. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica. 2008; 60(3): 134-41.
Hirano M. Clinical examination of voice: Springer London, Limited; 1981. 100 p.
Roy N, Merrill RM, Thibeault S, Parsa RA, Gray SD, Smith EM. Prevalence of voice disorders in teachers and the general population. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2004; 47(2): 281-93.
Cutiva LCC, Vogel I, Burdorf A. Voice disorders in teachers and their associations with work-related factors: a systematic review. Journal of communication disorders. 2013; 46(2): 143-55.
Martins RHG, do Amaral HA, Tavares ELM, Martins MG, Gonçalves TM, Dias NH. Voice disorders: etiology and diagnosis. Journal of voice. 2016; 30(6): 761. e1-. e9.
George D, Mallery P. SPSS for Windows Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference, 11.0 Update. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon; 2003. 386 p.
Boonjai Srisatidnarakul. Development and validation of research instruments: psychometric properties. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Printing House; 2012. 463 p.