Work

Use of the Polish Adaptation of the Pediatric Voice Handicap Index in Predicting Severe Voice Disorders in Children

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI) score is known to be associated with the severity of dysphonia, assessed by the GRBAS perceptual voice rating scale or by the acoustic analysis. However, there is no consensus regarding pVHI scoring for clinical applications. The aim of this study was to determine the relevance of parental voice assessment, aided by the pVHI questionnaire, for the identification of cases of severe pediatric voice disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective cohort study was conducted at the audiology and phoniatrics outpatient clinic. Children aged 4.5 to 14 years were enrolled in the study. The pVHI questionnaire was filled in by the adult accompanying the child during the appointment. Voice was rated by the physician using the GRBAS scale and Yanagihara scale. RESULTS: The group included in the analysis consisted of 93 children. There was no significant difference in the diagnosis of severe cases regarded as patients with the GRBAS and Yanagihara scales scores above the third quartile of them. The risk of having a severe voice disorder was statistically greater along with the increase in the pVHI (OR 1.08 per 1 point, 95% CI 1.03-1.13, P = 0.002) and its components. For the primary outcome (GRBAS total score ≥ 6) both the minimum distance from the cut point to the ideal diagnosis (sensitivity of 1.00 and 1-specificity of 0.00) and minimum absolute difference between sensitivity and specificity were achieved for pVHI total score of 27 points. CONCLUSIONS: Parental assessment of voice impairment using pVHI is useful for identification children with severe pediatric voice disorders with a threshold established at 27 points.

Source: Journal of Voice

DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2025.06.024

Authors: Paulina Krasnodębska, Paweł Piluch, Agata Szkiełkowska

Institutions: Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Medical University of Warsaw

Language: English

Topic: Voice and Speech Disorders

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650