Revision of the Turkish Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire: a boosted tool for the tinnitus population.

Background: Due to low factor loadings and problems with construct validity of the current version of the Turkish Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire, there is a need for a revision that can more accurately assess hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to re-evaluate the Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire for individuals with tinnitus and to analyze its reliability and validity.

Materials and methods: The new version of Khalfa Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ-R), consisting of 12 items, was tested on 269 participants with tinnitus and the suitability of the two-factor structure was evaluated by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

Results: EFA revealed that the scale explained 60.247% of the total variability and the factor loadings were strong. It was determined that the CFA model provided an excellent fit. The CA value of the instrument was found to be 0.908 and a high level of reliability was obtained. The cut-off score was 14 and this value was used to accurately classify hyperacusis.

Conclusion: The HQ-R provides a measurement tool that can more precisely and accurately assess hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus. The improvements will be an important resource for clinicians and researchers working with tinnitus patients.