Development and Administration of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Questionnaire-12 (COMQ-12) and Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test-15 (COMOT-15) in Kannada

Introduction  It is essential to determine the quality of life among individuals with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). However, there is limited literature on health-related quality of life measurements in Kannada-speaking individuals with CSOM. Objectives  The present study attempted to translate and validate Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Questionnaire-12 (COMQ-12) and Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test-15 (COMOT-15) in Kannada. Method  The English questionnaires were translated and back-translated, and they were later verified for content validity. The developed questionnaires were then administered to 100 individuals with CSOM for further validation. Results  The results of the study showed that the translated questionnaires have good internal consistency for measuring quality of life among individuals with CSOM. The study also showed that Kannada-speaking individuals with CSOM show significant impairment in their health-related quality of life measures. Conclusions  The impairments were more related to ear symptoms and psychological issues. However, test-retest reliability of the developed questionnaire and its further validation are essential. Thus, these questionnaires attempt to understand the problems of the individuals with CSOM from the patients' perspective and help clinicians provide the appropriate management.