Validation of the Dutch version of the Spatial Hearing Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to validate the Dutch version of the Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (SHQ). The original English SHQ by Tyler et al. is a useful and reliable self-reported assessment of spatial hearing. It has excellent construct validity and significantly correlates with other measures of auditory function. Our goal is to have similarly high internal consistency reliability and construct validity for the Dutch version of the SHQ.

METHODS: We obtained the Dutch version of the original American English SHQ by the process of translation and back-translation. The SHQ was assessed in 71 patients at the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department of Antwerp University Hospital. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha value. Factor analysis was performed and compared to results from previous psychometric analysis of the original SHQ. Construct validity was checked by comparing scores obtained in patients with asymmetric and symmetric hearing loss.

RESULTS: The internal consistency of the Dutch version of the SHQ was very high with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.98. Comparison of a group with asymmetric and symmetric impaired patients revealed significant differences in the SHQ total score and most subscale scores, emphasizing good construct validity.

CONCLUSIONS: The SHQ was successfully translated to Dutch. The psychometric characters of the Dutch questionnaire are similar to the original SHQ in English, with high internal consistency reliability. The Dutch version of the SHQ, Vragenlijst voor Ruimtelijk Horen, is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring spatial hearing abilities in both clinic and research settings.