Development and Validation of the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire

Purpose: To create a questionnaire focused on the primary activities impaired by tinnitus and therefore more sensitive to treatments. Method: Questions were developed on (a) emotions, (b) hearing, (c) sleep, and (d) concentration. A 20-item questionnaire was administered to 158 patients. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to select 3 questions per domain. Second, factor analysis was used to evaluate the appropriateness of the 12-item questionnaire. Results: The analysis indicated that the selected questions successfully represented 4 independent domains. Scores were correlated with the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (r =.77, p < .01) and loudness (r =.40, p < .01). The Sleep subscale correlated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Index (r =.68, p <.01); the Emotion subscale correlated with the Beck Inventory (r =.66, p < .01) and the Trait Anxiety questionnaire (r =.67, p < .01). The average scores went from 51% to 38% following treatment. Conclusion: The Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire is valid, reliable, and sensitive and can be used to determine the efficacy of clinical trials.