The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) is a standard questionnaire for quantitative evaluation of the degrees of handicap in the daily lives of patients with vestibular disorders. It consists of 25 questions; each of which is classified as 'functional, ' 'emotional, ' or 'physical' or a subscale.
The aim of the present study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Japanese translation of the DHI (DHI-J). The DHI Js returned from 79 patients suffering dizziness were analyzed. The results are summarized as follows:
(1) Cronsbach's alpha coefficient, which measures the reliability based on the consistency of the questionnaire, was larger than 0.78 for each of the three subscales (functional, ' 'emotional, ' and 'physical').
(2) All of the subscale scores were significantly correlated with the corresponding visual analogue scales (VAS) (p<0.05).
(3) The 'emotional' subscale score showed a significant correlation with the results of the Cornel Medical Index (CMI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
(4) The DHI J scores showed no significant correlation with the clinical signs and symptoms (presence or absence of nystagmus, presence or absence of recurrence, and duration of dizziness).
These results indicated that the DHI J is a valid and reliable questionnaire that can be used to assess the degree of handicap in the daily lives of patients with vestibular disorders. We shall examine each of the questions and modify their classifications ('functional, ' 'emotional, ' or 'physical') so that they can better suit daily life in Japan.
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