Evaluation of Turkish pediatric voice handicap index in children with asthma

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the voice quality in children with asthma by subjective methods. Material and Method: Children with mildto-severe asthma (n=91) and age-sex matched healthy controls (n=79) without present or past history of voice disorders were included in the study. The Turkish version of the Pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI) was used to access the impact on functional, physical, and emotional aspects of voice and oral communication. Results: A significant difference was noted between patients with asthma and controls with regard to pVHI scores. Indicating a greater chance of voice disorders was observed in patients with asthma (P<0.005). The scores of three domains and the total score of pVHI were prevalent in children with asthma. In addition, as the severity of asthma increased, high scores of pVHI were observed (p:0.01). Discussion: Our study showed that children with asthma had higher scores on pVHI compared to healthy children, indicating a greater likelihood of the development of voice complaints. A positive correlation was found between the severity of asthma and pVHI scores Keywords Pediatric; Voice Handicap Index; Asthma | The Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine Voice handicap index in asthma