Validity of the Turkish Version of the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Psychometrics
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Tinnitus significantly impacts quality of life, affecting sleep, hearing, concentration, and emotional well-being.
• Validated questionnaires are essential for accurately assessing tinnitus-related functional impairments.
• The Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (TPFQ) is a valuable tool for evaluating these impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish translation of the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (TPFQ-T).
• To establish TPFQ-T as a dependable instrument for Turkish-speaking tinnitus patients.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 103 patients with chronic tinnitus (duration > 3 months) participated.
• Participants completed the TPFQ-T alongside established measures: Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, and magnitude estimation.
• Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale and subscales.

Main Results:

• The overall TPFQ-T demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88.
• Subscale reliability ranged from 0.67 (sleep) to 0.86 (concentration), indicating good internal consistency.
• Significant correlations were observed between TPFQ-T scores (overall and subscales) and corresponding measures from other validated questionnaires.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish version of the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (TPFQ-T) is a reliable and valid instrument.
• TPFQ-T is appropriate for clinical use with Turkish-speaking individuals suffering from tinnitus.
• This validated questionnaire aids in assessing the functional impact of tinnitus in a Turkish population.