Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory for Patient Caregivers in Children

Abstract

Background and Aim: Questionnaires are useful tools for clinicians. This study aimed to translate the Dizziness Handicap Inventory for Patient Caregivers (DHI-PC) into Persian (DHI-PC-P) and assess its psychometric properties for children aged 5–12 years. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical psychometrics study. After obtaining permission from the developers of the DHI-PC, translation into Persian and cross-cultural adaptation were done according to the international guidelines for self-assessment tools recommended by the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. Participants were 21 parents (mean age: 38.05 years, SD=6.1 years, 18 female) and their children with dizziness (mean age 8.69 years, SD=2.41 years, 9 female) between the ages of 5–12 years old. Face validity, content validity, and test-retest reliability at an interval of 14–21 days were evaluated for the DHI-PC-P. Results: The face validity was confirmed qualitatively by the experts’ opinions and quantitatively by calculating the  item  impact  score.  Content  validity  was  confirmed  by calculating the content validity index and the content validity ratio (0.97 and 0.86, respectively). The internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s alpha=0.90). For the test- retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient was obtained 0.94, indicating an excellent reliability. Conclusion: The DHI-PC-P can be used clinically as a valid and reliable tool for children with dizziness aged 5–12 years.   Keywords: Questionnaire; dizziness handicap inventory; validity; reliability; vertigo; children