Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity of the Arabic version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale

Objective To translate the full version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale into Arabic, assess its reliability and validity, and evaluate the listening ability scores of Arabic-speaking individuals with hearing impairments. Design Cross-sectional study involving linguistic adaptation and psychometric evaluation of a self-reported hearing questionnaire. Setting Conducted in audiology clinics and university research facilities, where participants were assessed and followed-up under standardized testing conditions. Participants Two hundred twenty participants, including 110 with hearing loss and 110 age- and gender-matched individuals with normal hearing. All were native Arabic speakers. Intervention Participants underwent audiological assessments and completed the translated full version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale. A subset completed the questionnaire again after 3 months to assess test–retest reliability. Main measures Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, while test–retest reliability was assessed through the intraclass correlation coefficient comparing baseline and follow-up scores. Discriminant validity was established by comparing the scores of individuals with and without hearing loss, and the relationships between scale scores and the percentage of hearing loss were also examined. Results The Arabic version demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.974). Test–retest reliability was confirmed with a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.958; p < 0.001). The scale distinguished between participants with hearing loss and those with normal hearing (p < 0.001). Total scores showed significant negative correlations with hearing loss (r = 0.609; p < 0.001). Conclusions The Arabic full version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing auditory perception, spatial hearing, and communication challenges among Arabic-speaking individuals with hearing impairments.