OBJECTIVE: To perform translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the hearing handicap inventory for adults scale (HHIA) to the Spanish language.STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study.SETTING: Tertiary neurotologic referral center.PATIENTS: The study included 104 hearing impaired persons. Inclusion criteria were adults with untreated hearing loss, diagnosed in the past 12 months. A control group of 30 normal hearing subjects was also recruited.INTERVENTION: HHIA was translated and translated back, and a pretest trial was performed. Feasibility, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and ceiling and floor effects were assessed for the present study.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The mean overall score of the HHIA was 31.9 (0-100 scale, lowest to highest handicap). Cronbach's á was 0.95. Intraclass correlation coefficient was performed for each item, with an overall score of 0.95. The k coefficient scores ranged between moderate and almost perfect in all patients. The emotional score of the HHIA was correlated with the mental component of the SF-12.CONCLUSIONS: Feasibility, internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity outcomes in the current study support the validity of the Spanish version of the HHIA.
Adult Female