Translation and Validation of Third-Party Disability and Quality of Life Questionnaires in Kannada for Mothers of Children with Cochlear Implants

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to translate and validate the Third-Party Disability Questionnaire (TPD) and the ICF-based Quality of Life scale for Hearing Loss (ICF-QOL-HL) into the Kannada language (TPD-K and ICF-QOL-HL-K). Method: A total of 100 mothers of children using cochlear implants (CI) were recruited in the study. The translation was done in a step-by-step manner following the guidelines given by Beaton et al. (2000). The validation was done by five audiologists and five participants of the study. The test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was also assessed by administering the questionnaire to 10 participants again after 15 days. Result: The results demonstrated that both questionnaires demonstrated good internal consistency and reliability. Further, descriptive statistics revealed that, on the TPD-K, the Environmental Factors domain was the most affected, highlighting financial concerns related to the care and maintenance of the device, whereas the Attitude domain was the least impacted, indicating positive maternal outlooks. In contrast, the ICF-QOL-HL-K results showed that Environmental Factors had the least impact on mothers’ quality of life, while Personal Factors were the most affected, reflecting ongoing concerns about the child’s future. The study also showed a significant negative correlation between implant age and monthly family income with both questionnaires, indicating that longer implant use and higher income were associated with reduced third-party disability and better maternal quality of life. Additionally, a negative correlation between maternal education and TPD-K scores was observed, though no such association was found with the ICF-QOL-HL-K. No correlation was noted between duration of deafness and either questionnaire. A positive correlation between the total scores of TPD-K and ICF-QOL-HL-K further indicated that greater third-party disability was associated with poorer maternal quality of life. Conclusion: The findings underline the psychological and functional challenges faced by the mothers of children using CI, and highlight the importance of using cultural tools in clinical settings. These validated questionnaires can aid professionals in better understanding of caregiver needs, facilitating more personalised counselling sessions and holistic rehabilitation strategies.