Psychometric Properties and Concurrent Validity of a 10-Item Questionnaire for Patients With Vestibular Disorders

Objective. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and concurrent validity of the Haukeland Dizziness Questionnaire (HDQ-10), a 10-item questionnaire designed for simplified assessment of symptom severity and emotional effects in patients with vestibular disorders. Study Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. Secondary referral hospital. Methods. Out of 238 consecutive patients examined for suspected vestibular disease at an otolaryngology clinic, 201 completed the questionnaire. The psychometric properties of the HDQ-10 were examined by exploratory factor analysis and analysis of internal consistency. Concurrent validity was determined in comparison with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Vertigo Symptom Scale-Short Form (VSS-SF), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results. The factor analysis revealed 3 subscales of the questionnaire covering "function," "unsteadiness," and "emotion." The examination of the total scale (alpha = .866) and its subscales indicated satisfactory psychometric properties. The HDQ-10 correlated highly with both DHI (r = .732. P < .001) and VSS-SF (r = .720. P < .001) indicating good concurrent validity. Conclusion. The HDQ-10 is a 10-item questionnaire designed for simplified assessment of symptom severity and emotional effects in patients with vestibular disorders. It has satisfactory psychometric properties and good concurrent validity compared to existing dizziness questionnaires.