Nepali Linguistic Validation of the Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Effects on Life Outcomes Instrument: VELO-Nepali

Abstract

Objective:

To translate and validate the velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) effects on life outcomes (VELO) instrument into Nepali, and test its internal consistency and validity.

Design:

Quality-of-life instrument translation and validation.

Setting:

Community served by Nepal’s craniofacial referral hospital.

Participants:

Twenty-three postpalatoplasty children with VPI, 19 family guardians of VPI cases, and 29 non-VPI controls.

Interventions:

The VELO instrument was translated to Nepali by 2 independent bilingual translators, reconciled, backward-translated, compared, and modified using patient cognitive interviews. All VPI children, guardians, and controls completed the VELO-Nepali.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

The VELO internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach α coefficient. Concurrent validity and discriminant validity were assessed using 2-sample t test: assuming unequal variances.

Results:

The VELO was translated and optimized using cognitive interviews. The VELO-Nepali demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach α coefficients of 0.93, 0.94, and 0.90 for VPI cases, guardians of VPI cases, and non-VPI controls, respectively. The VELO-Nepali exhibited strong discriminant validity between VPI cases ( $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 45.4, standard deviation [SD] = 22.1) and non-VPI controls ( $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 84.9, SD = 12.3), (P < .001). The VELO-Nepali showed strong concurrent validity with similarities in VPI case scores ( $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 45.4, SD = 22.1), and guardian scores ( $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 52.9, s = 22.8; P = .473).

Conclusion:

The translated VELO-Nepali demonstrates strong internal consistency, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity, and can assess quality of life for Nepali VPI patients. This instrument represents the first VPI quality of life assessment validated in Nepali, and supports the feasibility of its implementation in other low- and low-middle-income countries.