Validation of the Brazilian Version of the Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire

To perform the validation of the Brazilian version of the Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire (B-VDCQ) using procedures according to the Scientific Advisory Committee of Medical Outcomes Trust and psychometric analyses to determine the scales validity and reliability.

In the preliminary procedures, the VDCQ was administered to 14 patients to determine if items were culturally valid and propose possible adaptations for a B-VDCQ. The sample of this study consisted of a data set of 178 individuals, 87 with vocal complaint, comprising 19 men and 68 women, with mean age of 34.1 years and 91 without vocal complaint, comprising 29 men and 62 women, with mean age of 32.4 years. To demonstrate validity, the B-VDCQ scores were compared to vocal self-assessment and perceptual analysis. To determine the reliability and test-retest reproducibility, 14 voice patients repeated the measurement between 3 and 14 days after the first administration.

Principal component analyses of the patients with vocal complaint yielded four coping strategies: venting, support seeking, minimisation, and avoidant acceptance. Subscales of the questionnaire showed acceptable internal consistency and reproducibility values, apart from the minimisation subscale. B-VDCQ validity was demonstrated through relationships with perceptual analyses and vocal self-assessment and subscale score differences between the two groups.

The B-VDCQ has been submitted to essential steps necessary for cultural adaptation and validation. It is a simple instrument to administer and shows to be specific for evaluating patients with voice problems. The B-VDCQ can be an important addition to the voice evaluation of patients with dysphonia.