Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Preliminary Evaluation of the Spanish Version of the Transgender Voice Questionnaire for Male-to-Female Transsexuals (TVQ MtF)

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to perform translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Spanish version of the Transsexual Voice Questionnaire for Male-to-Female Transsexuals (TVQ ^MtF).

Study design: This is a prospective study.

Setting: The study was conducted by the Gender Identity Unit and the Voice Unit of a tertiary hospital referral center for surgical feminization of the voice.

Subjects and methods: The study had two parts: translation and adaptation of the TVQ ^MtF with the following actions: translation (with authorization and consensus of the authors of the original questionnaire), back-translation, pretesting, and final version; and preliminary study of the psychometric properties (feasibility, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, discriminant validity, and ceiling and floor effects). Thirty male-to-female transsexual women filled out the questionnaire, and 18 of the 30 filled out the questionnaire approximately 2 weeks after filling it out for the first time.

Results: Feasibility was 100%. Cronbach α was 0.976. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.885. The Spearman correlation coefficient between TVQ ^MtF and the physical component of SF-12 v2 was 0.102 (P value = 0.592) and between TVQ ^MtF and the mental component was -0.263 (P value = 0.161). A ceiling effect was not found. A floor effect was found in two questionnaires (6.7%).

Conclusion: Feasibility, internal consistency, and reliability outcomes in our study support the validity of the authorized Spanish version of the TVQ ^MtF.

Keywords: Quality of life; TVQ (MtF), voice feminization; Transgender; Transsexuals; Voice.