Adaptação transcultural e validação psicométrica do instrumento “abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit - aphab” para o português do Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: In an attempt to minimize the undesirable effects of hearing loss, amplification through hearing aids is widely recommended. To measure the benefits provided by these aids, instruments such as questionnaires and scales are used. In this context, the use of validated instruments becomes essential to ensure greater reliability in the assessment of hearing aid benefit. Objective: To carry out the cross cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the instrument Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) into Brazilian Portuguese, involving users of Personal Sound Amplification Devices (PSADs). Methods: This is a methodological study, with a quantitative analysis, aimed at validating the APHAB instrument, involving PSAD users who seek care at specialized private clinics in the municipality of Cascavel, Paraná. For its validation, the following sequence was used: (1) analysis of the synthesized version by a committee of judges, to compose the final version of the instrument, (2) semantic analysis, (3) structural evaluation. Considering the pre existence of a translation of the instrument from the source language into the target language, this step was not necessary in the present study. Results: The evaluation by the committee of judges resulted in suggestions related to the adjustment of verb tenses, substitution of pronouns, and revision of cultural expressions specific to the source language, aiming to ensure relevance, comprehensiveness, and clarity for the target population. Regarding general impressions, 47.5% of participants considered the instrument “very good” and another 47.5% rated it as “good.” The majority considered the questions easy to understand (87.5%), did not report difficulties with the response categories (85%), and found the questions very relevant to their health condition (77.5%). The reliability of the instrument was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.84) and by Guttman’s Lambda 6 (G6 = 0.90), indicating a significant correlation among the items. Confirmatory Factor Analysis did not demonstrate structural validity, since the expected relationships between factors and indicators were not consistent with the observed data, even after adjustments. On the other hand, Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated the exclusion of items Q2, Q9, Q11, Q13, and Q24, resulting in an instrument with four subscales and 19 items. Conclusions: It is concluded that the version adapted into Brazilian Portuguese proved to be equivalent to the original version of the APHAB and presented satisfactory evidence of content validity. Despite the evidence of validity and reliability of the APHAB, the study has limitations, as it has a small sample composed of participants from a single location, which highlights the need to verify the evidence of validity and reliability with a larger audience and different locations. It is important to highlight that new studies need to be conducted with the version adapted into Brazilian Portuguese, with participants who preferably have sociodemographic and clinical characteristics different from those of this study, due to the different socioeconomic and cultural realities of Brazil. In general, the results allowed us to demonstrate that the cross-cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the APHAB in the PSAD user population was effective.