Investigate the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Deaf and Hard of Hearing(YQOL-DHH)

Introduction: The youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH) is a useful way to investigate their needs and evaluate educational and rehabilitation programs. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH). Methods: The was a psychometric typed descriptive study. Translation and translation-back were used to prepare the Persian version of the youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH). The statistical population of the present research was experts in two fields of psychology and education of exceptional children, and eleven to nineteen years old deaf or hard of hearing adolescents in 2019. The sample includes seven experts and one hundred twenty deaf and hard of hearing adolescents who were selected by convenient sampling method in Isfahan. The viewpoints of seven experts were gathered to assess the questionnaire’s face and content validity. The Content validity index was calculated by the Lawshe(1975) and Waltz and Bausell(1981) methods. The construct validity was analyzed using factor analysis. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest. Results: The youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH) was translated into three subscales and thirty-two items with a set of ten answer choices for each question. The face validity and content validity (CVI=0.81) were confirmed satisfactory. The content validity index was 0.79, 0.88, and 0.85 for subscales of self-acceptance/advocacy, perceived stigma, and participation. The reliability for the subscales of the youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH) using Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84, 0.81, and 0.83, respectively. Also, reliability using the test-retest method was 0.76, 0.73, and 0.74. There was a moderate to a strong correlation between subscales of the youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH) with the KIDSCREEN instruments assess children’s and adolescents’ subjective health and well-being and Depression anxiety stress scales.(P< 0.05) Conclusions: The result of this study showed that The youth quality of life instrument-deaf and hard of hearing(YQOL-DHH) could be a valid and reliable tool. Therefore, has capable to be used in Iran and can be used for assessing the quality of life of deaf or hard of hearing adolescents.