Audiology Research (Apr 2022)

Validation of the LittlEARS<sup>®</sup> Questionnaire in Hearing Maltese-Speaking Children

  • Pauline Miggiani,
  • Frans Coninx,
  • Karolin Schaefer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres12020022
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 2
pp. 191 – 201

Abstract

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Objectives: To adapt the LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire into the Maltese language and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Maltese version of the questionnaire for hearing children. Methods: The English version of LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire was adapted into Maltese using a translation/back translation procedure. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 398 parents of normal hearing children aged between 5 days and 36 months completed the Maltese version of LittlEARS®. Psychometric validation was performed through scale analysis, item analysis, and analysis of reliability and validity. A non-linear regression model was derived to obtain normative data for expected and minimum values of total scores from the questionnaire according to age. Results: Predictive accuracy (Guttman’s lambda) was 0.921, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value was 0.921, and the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.949. The Pearson correlation coefficient between scores and age was 0.903. The regression analysis showed that 82% of the variance in the total scores can be explained by age. Norm curves were comparable to the original German data. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the Maltese version of LittlEARS® is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate auditory development in children less than two years of age.

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