Reliability and Validity of the Chinese (Mandarin) Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

• Main Authors: Zhaoli Meng, Yun Zheng, Shixi Liu, Kai Wang, Xiudan Kong, Yong Tao, Ke Xu, Guanjian Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2012-03-01
• Series: Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology
• Subjects: Tinnitus; Reliability; Validity
• Online Access: http://www.e-ceo.org/upload/pdf/ceo-5-10.pdf
• ISSN: 1976-8710; 2005-0720

ObjectivesThe Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) is a commonly used self-reporting tinnitus questionnaire. We undertook this study to determine the reliability and validity of the Chinese-Mandarin version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI-CM) for measuring tinnitus-related handicaps.MethodsWe tested the test-retest reliability, internal reliability, and construct validity of the THI-CM. Two-hundred patients seeking treatment for primary or secondary tinnitus in Southwest China were asked to complete THI-CM prior to clinical evaluation. Patients were evaluated by a clinician using standard methods, and 40 patients were asked to complete THI-CM a second time 14±3 days after the initial interview.ResultsThe test-retest reliability of THI-CM was high (Pearson correlation, 0.98), as was the internal reliability (Cronbach's α, 0.93). Factor analysis indicated that THI-CM has a unifactorial structure.ConclusionThe THI-CM version is reliable. The total score in THI-CM can be used to measure tinnitus-related handicaps in Mandarin-speaking populations.