Translation and preliminary evaluation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Transgender Voice Questionnaire for male-to-female transsexuals

Santos, Heloisa Helena de Almeida Neves Matta dos; Aguiar, Andréa Gomes de Oliveira; Baeck, Heidi Elisabeth; Van Borsel, John

doi:10.1590/2317-1782/20152014093

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Original Articles • CoDAS 27 (1) • Jan-Feb 2015 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1782/20152014093 copy

Translation and preliminary evaluation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Transgender Voice Questionnaire for male-to-female transsexuals

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

PURPOSE:

To contribute to the development of a Brazilian Portuguese language version of the vocal self-assessment questionnaire, Transsexual Voice Questionnaire: Male-to-Female (TVQ:^MtF), and to evaluate the questionnaire for use in Brazil.

METHODS:

The research was divided into two parts: (1) translation and adaptation of the questionnaire (TVQ:^MtF) and demographic form and (2) preliminary study of the psychometric properties (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) of the adapted version of the questionnaire. For the translation and adaptation, the following steps were taken: translation, reconciliation, back-translation, harmonization, and pilot test. The TVQ:^MtF questionnaire and the demographic form were applied to 13 male-to-female transsexuals, aged between 21 and 47 years. The participants agreed to answer the TVQ:^MtF on two occasions (test and retest), with an optimal interval of 30 days.

RESULTS:

Two psychometric properties were investigated: internal consistency and test-retest reliability. High levels of internal consistency (in both test (α=0.911) and retest (α=0.952) conditions) and reliability (with an average ICC=0.957 (95%CI 0.916-0.984)), were found.

CONCLUSION:

The TVQ:^MtF is an appropriate instrument for vocal self-assessment of male-to-female transsexual patients, which can be recommended for clinical and research goals.

Transsexualism; Voice; Self-assessment; Translating; Transgendered persons

Items of the TVQ:^MtF		Mean (SD)	Min–Max	Median	Mode*	ITC
1.	People have difficulty hearing me in a noisy room.	2.6 (1.0)	1–4	3	2	0.330
2.	I feel anxious when I know I have to use my voice.	3.2 (1.0)	1–4	4	4	0.234
3.	My voice makes me feel less feminine than I would like.	3.1 (0.9)	2–4	3	4	0.821
4.	The tone of my speaking voice is very low.	3.0 (0.8)	2–4	3	3	0.670
5.	It’s hard to know how the tone of my voice will sound.	2.6 (1.0)	1–4	3	2	0.462
6.	My voice disrupts my life as a woman.	2.7 (1.1)	1–4	3	2	0.408
7.	I avoid using the telephone because of my voice.	1.8 (0.8)	1–3	2	1	0.509
8.	I get tense when talking to others because of my voice.	3.1 (0.9)	2–4	3	4	0.604
9.	I get hoarse when I try to speak with my female voice.	1.4 (0.7)	1–3	1	1	0.665
10.	My voice makes it difficult for me to be recognized as a woman.	2.3 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.709
11.	The tonal range of my female voice is small.	2.6 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.444
12.	I feel uncomfortable talking with friends, neighbors, or relatives because of my voice.	2.3 (1.1)	1–4	2	1	0.547
13.	I avoid speaking in public because of my voice.	2.8 (1.1)	1–4	3	2	0.495
14.	My voice sounds artificial.	2.2 (0.7)	1–3	2	2	0.152
15.	I have to concentrate to make my voice sound like I want it to sound.	2.5 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.425
16.	I feel frustrated when I try to change my voice.	2.9 (1.1)	1–4	3	4	0.365
17.	My difficulties with my voice restrict my social life.	2.6 (1.2)	1–4	3	4	0.735
18.	When I’m not paying attention, the tone of my voice gets lower.	2.8 (1.2)	1–4	3	4	0.493
19.	When I laugh, I sound like a man.	2.3 (1.3)	1–4	2	1	0.384
20.	My voice does not suit my physical appearance.	3.2 (0.9)	2–4	4	4	0.492
21.	I have to make a huge effort to produce my voice.	2.3 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.333
22.	My voice gets tired quickly.	2.1 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.413
23.	My voice restricts the type of work I do.	1.6 (0.9)	1–4	1	1	0.240
24.	I feel that my voice does not reflect my “true self”.	3.3 (0.9)	2–4	4	4	0.364
25.	I am less extroverted because of my voice.	3.0 (0.9)	2–4	3	2	0.605
26.	I am aware of how strangers perceive my voice.	2.9 (1.2)	1–4	3	4	0.613
27.	My voice “breaks up” in the middle of speech.	2.4 (1.1)	1–4	2	2	0.376
28.	I get annoyed when I am perceived as a man because of my voice.	3.2 (1.0)	1–4	4	4	0.544
29.	My speaking voice has a small variation of tones.	2.8 (1.0)	1–4	3	2	0.600
30.	I feel discriminated against because of my voice.	2.1 (1.3)	1–4	2	1	0.583

Items of the TVQ:^MtF		Mean (SD)	Min Max	Median	Mode*	ITC
1.	People have difficulty hearing me in a noisy room.	2.5 (0.8)	2–4	2	2	0.659
2.	I feel anxious when I know I have to use my voice.	3.0 (1.1)	1–4	3	4	0.633
3.	My voice makes me feel less feminine than I would like.	3.2 (0.9)	1–4	3	4	0.607
4.	The tone of my speaking voice is very low.	2.5 (1.1)	1–4	2	2	0.866
5.	It’s hard to know how the tone of my voice will sound.	2.5 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.558
6.	My voice disrupts my life as a woman.	2.7 (1.2)	1–4	2	2	0.717
7.	I avoid using the telephone because of my voice.	2.2 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.441
8.	I get tense when talking to others because of my voice.	2.8 (1.0)	1–4	3	2	0.582
9.	I get hoarse when I try to speak with my female voice.	2.2 (1.1)	1–4	2	1	0.719
10.	My voice makes it difficult for me to be recognized as a woman.	2.7 (1.1)	1–4	2	2	0.660
11.	The tonal range of my female voice is small.	2.6 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.543
12.	I feel uncomfortable talking with friends, neighbors, or relatives because of my voice.	2.5 (1.1)	1–4	3	3	0.810
13.	I avoid speaking in public because of my voice.	2.8 (1.0)	1–4	3	2	0.793
14.	My voice sounds artificial.	1.9 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.248
15.	I have to concentrate to make my voice sound like I want it to sound.	2.3 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.693
16.	I feel frustrated when I try to change my voice.	2.9 (1.0)	1–4	3	3	0.853
17.	My difficulties with my voice restrict my social life.	2.6 (1.3)	1–4	3	4	0.455
18.	When I’m not paying attention, the tone of my voice gets lower.	2.4 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.615
19.	When I laugh, I sound like a man.	2.2 (1.2)	1–4	2	1	0.573
20.	My voice does not suit my physical appearance.	3.4 (0.9)	2–4	4	4	0.753
21.	I have to make a huge effort to produce my voice.	2.3 (1.0)	1–4	2	2	0.755
22.	My voice gets tired quickly.	2.3 (1.2)	1–4	2	1	0.659
23.	My voice restricts the type of work I do.	1.8 (0.7)	1–3	2	2	0.416
24.	I feel that my voice does not reflect my “true self”.	3.2 (1.1)	1–4	4	4	0.506
25.	I am less extroverted because of my voice.	3.2 (0.9)	2–4	4	4	0.724
26.	I am aware of how strangers perceive my voice.	2.9 (1.1)	1–4	3	4	0.777
27.	My voice “breaks up” in the middle of speech.	2.3 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.335
28.	I get annoyed when I am perceived as a man because of my voice.	3.2 (1.0)	1–4	4	4	0.410
29.	My speaking voice has a small variation of tones.	2.5 (1.1)	1–4	2	2	0.542
30.	I feel discriminated against because of my voice.	2.2 (0.9)	1–4	2	2	0.653

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[1] Correspondence address: Heloisa Helena de Almeida Neves Matta dos Santos Rua Caiapó, 35/403, Engenho Novo, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), CEP: 20710-180. Email: helohneves@hotmail.com