Translation and Validation of the “Hearing Impairment Impact–Significant Other Profile (HII-SOP): A Tool to Measure Hearing Loss–Related Quality of Life in Spouses of People With Hearing Loss” Into Kannada

Background and Objectives: Hearing loss can have direct adverse effects on the significant others (SOs) of individuals with hearing loss. The term "third-party disability" is used to refer to the difficulties faced by family members because of the health conditions of their SOs. The "Hearing Impairment Impact-Significant Other Profile (HII-SOP)" is a tool designed to measure hearing loss-related quality of life among spouses of English speakers with hearing loss. In the present project, we have sought to translate the HII-SOP questionnaire into Kannada, a southern Indian language spoken by 43.7 million people, and validate it. Subjects and Methods: In the first phase, we translated the questionnaire into Kannada following a structured protocol. In the second phase, we evaluated the psychometric properties by administering the translated version (HII-SOP-K) to 57 SOs of individuals with hearing loss. The sample included spouses, children, and other caregivers of individuals with hearing loss who were native speakers of Kannada (mean age: 47.96 years). Results: The HII-SOP-K showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.90) and strong test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.914). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the five factors accounted for 58.3% of the variance. Most SOs reported mild-to-moderate third-party disabilities. The relationship between SOs (spouses, children, and others) and individuals with hearing loss had no significant effect on HII-SOP-K scores. Conclusions: The Kannada version of the HII-SOP is a valid and reliable tool for assessing third-party disabilities among the SOs of individuals with hearing loss. Assessment of third-party disabilities will facilitate patient- and family-centered audiological care and may enable the inclusion of SOs in the aural rehabilitation of individuals with hearing loss and facilitate a comprehensive understanding of third-party disability among Kannada speakers; thus, HII-SOP-K is suitable for use in clinical and research contexts among Kannada speakers.