Validation of the Chilean Version of the Vocal Tract Discomfort-VTD on Teachers: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Due to the vocal load to which voice professionals such as teachers are exposed, voice disorders and vocal misuse are frequently found in this group. This makes it necessary to have quick and simple assessment instruments that allow early detection of vocal symptoms. The objective of this study was to adapt the "Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTD)" to Chilean Spanish and carry out a preliminary validation of this protocol on teachers. First, the original instrument was translated to Spanish by two native speakers, and then back-translated by two English experts, in order to determine the presence of agreements and discrepancies. Subsequently, a group of experts made up of two methodologists and five speech therapists with experience in the voice field performed an appearance and content validation. Criterion validity was obtained through the correlation between the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale and the Spanish-validated version of the Voice Handicap Index as a gold-standard test, for which the first was applied to a sample of 31 teachers. The validation of the VTD scale is reliable and provides speech therapists with a simple and understandable tool that allows them to comprehend the impact of dysphonia on people, particularly on voice professionals such as teachers.