Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Tamil Version of Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily in Carnatic Singers.

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to (i) culturally adapt and linguistically translate the Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE) in Tamil (EASE-T), (ii) validate EASE-T in Tamil-speaking Carnatic singers, and (iii) compare the scores of EASE-T with the original EASE (English) and EASE-K (Kannada).

Method: The original EASE (English) consisting of twenty-two statements in the three subscales-vocal fatigue, pathological risk factors, and vocal concerns, was adapted and translated to Tamil by professional translators. After incorporating the modifications, EASE preliminary version was given to eight Carnatic singers and four speech language pathologists for content validation. Two hundred and thirty-six healthy Tamil-speaking Carnatic singers (175 female and 59 male) ranging in age from 18 to 60 years validated the final version of the EASE-T (22 statements) after completing a vocal loading task.

Results and discussion: The Cronbach's alpha revealed good internal consistency for all subscales of EASE-T. Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a moderate-to-strong positive correlation between all subscales. No significant gender differences were observed. However, significant differences between the age groups of 18 to 30 years and 46 to 60 years were obtained. The comparison of the raw scores of the EASE-T with the original EASE, and EASE-K revealed some differences for both subscales. The adapted EASE-T has the potential for clinical and research applications in tracking subtle vocal changes, especially in response to vocal loading in Carnatic singers. This valid tool can aid voice professionals in early self-detection of vocal strain and could serve as a basis for seeking timely help, thereby supporting singers in maintaining vocal health and longevity in their careers.