Validation of the Voice Quality of Life Profile in Brazilian Portuguese


Objective: To assess the validity and reliability of the Voice Quality of Life Profile in Brazilian Portuguese (VQLP-Br) for measuring voice-related quality of life in Brazilian Portuguese speakers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under number 6685160. Participants were recruited via social media, and data collection was conducted online. The study included 221 individuals divided into two groups: the Vocal Complaint Group (VCG) – 98 individuals with vocal complaints, and the Healthy Group (HG) – 123 individuals without vocal complaints. Data collection was as follows: a) both VCG and HG completed the IVQLP-Br; b) VCG also completed the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire; and c) two to 14 days after step “a”, VCG completed the VQLP-Br again. Psychometric properties measured included construct validity (structural validity), criterion validity (concurrent validity, discriminant validity), and reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reproducibility). Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 and IBM SPSS Amos 29.0. Results: For construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis validated the instrument's factorial structure with 43 items across three factors (physical, social, and emotional) with a standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) of 0.095. Concurrent validity showed a significant correlation between all factors of the IVQLP-Br and the VRQOL (p<0.001 for all). Discriminant validity indicated a significant difference, with higher scores on all VQLP-Br factors in the VCG than the HG (p<0.001 for all). The cut-off point for the total score was 50.5 points. Internal consistency reliability yielded Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.723 (physical) to 0.964 (total), and test-retest reproducibility showed an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient between 0.851 (social) and 0.923 (total). Conclusion: The study confirmed that the VQLP-Br is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing voice-related quality of life in Brazilian Portuguese speakers with vocal complaints.

Vanessa
Evelyn
Maria Gabriella
Hoanna Victoria
Ana Raquel
Isadora
Emanuel Vianna
Ali
Rodrigo
Mara
Veis Ribeiro
de Carvalho Caprini
Gomes Fernandes
Caitano Menezes
Alves Da Silva
Lopes Ramos
Correia
Dehqan
Dornelas
Behlau