The Music-Related Quality of Life (MuRQoL) Questionnaire: Adaptation and Validation into the German Fragebogen zu Musik und Lebensqualität

Purpose: Growing interest in music perception among cochlear implant (CI) users has led to increasing research in this area. To support cross-cultural studies, this work aimed to adapt and validate the Music-Related Quality of Life (MuRQoL) questionnaire into German (MuRQoL-De). Methods: The MuRQoL was translated and culturally adapted into German following established guidelines for hearing-related instruments. The final version (“Fragebogen zu Musik und Lebensqualität”) was completed by 32 adult CI users and 43 normal-hearing (NH) individuals. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Construct validity was evaluated through group comparisons and exploratory regression analyses examining demographic and clinical factors. Results: The MuRQoL-De demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.80 for both Frequency and Importance scales and their subdomains. NH participants reported significantly higher scores than CI users on the Frequency scale, especially in the Music Perception subscale (p < 0.01). No significant group differences were observed for the Importance scale. Regression analyses did not identify statistically significant predictors of MuRQoL scores, though trends suggested potential associations with age, education, and musical experience. Conclusions: The MuRQoL-De is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating music-related quality of life in German-speaking adults. It effectively differentiates between CI users and NH individuals in terms of musical participation, while also emphasizing the shared importance of music. Its application may support individualized rehabilitation strategies that include musical engagement, addressing an important but often neglected aspect of auditory well-being.