Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: Aug | Volume: 7 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 331-341
Use of WHODAS 2.0 in Tinnitus Patients: Correlating Results with THI
Ms. Madhumita James1, Dr. Geetha Mukundan2
1Audiologist and Speech Therapist, Nalco Hospital, Angul, Odisha
2Ex Deputy Director (Tech.), Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of, Speech and Hearing Disabilities, Mumbai
Corresponding Author: Ms. Madhumita James
ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) is a generic health status instrument developed from a comprehensive set of items related to ‘Activity’ and ‘Participation’ component of WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) conceptual framework. It consists of six domains: Cognition, Mobility, Self care, Interpersonal, Life activities and Participation. As a tinnitus sufferer exhibits psychosomatic symptoms which are incorporated in WHODAS 2.0, this instrument can be used on tinnitus subjects to measure their status and disability in ICF framework. The objective of the present study was to determine psychometric properties of WHODAS 2.0 on a sample of 88 individuals with tinnitus. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), one of the most common tinnitus assessment scale was also used in the study. A series of statistical analysis was conducted on the collected data. Audiologic evaluations were followed by scale administration. Raw scores were coded and domain scores, total scores obtained. Mean total score of 47.77 and 47.15 was obtained from THI and WHODAS 2.0 respectively. Correlations to examine convergent validity between the two scales showed strong statistically significant (p<0.0005) correlation [r(Total scores)=0.852; r(overall scores)=0.851, r(grades)=0.860]. Internal consistency reliability was adequate for all domains with moderate to strong domain-total correlation except for mobility and self care. Test-retest reliability statistic for total score showed a strong correlation [r=0.842, p<0.0005]. Based on the results it was concluded that cognition, interpersonal, life activities and participation domains of WHODAS 2.0 are relevant and hence can be used in tinnitus assessment battery.
Key words: Activity, Participation, Cognition, WHO, ICF, Tinnitus