The relathinship between tinnitus functional index and tinnitus handicap inventory scores in patients with chronic tinnitus

Tinnitus can affect daily life. The evaluation of the affected aspects of life quality is highly dependent on the subjects’perception. Self-report questionnaires have been used to identify these affected aspects. In the present study, the relationship between the Persian versions of tinnitus functional index (TFI-P) and tinnitus handicap inventory (THI-P) was investigated.

This is a comparative cross-sectional study conducted on 28 hearing-impaired and 27 normal hearing subjects with tinnitus in aged 18−60 years selected according to the inclusion criteria. Both groups completed the TFI-P and THI-P.

There was a significant and relatively strong relationship between the total scores of THI-P and TFI-P (r = 0.65) and also between the emotional subscale of TFI-P and the catastrophic subscale of THI-P (r = 0.73). Moreover, there was a moderate relationship between age factor and total score of TFI-P (r = −0.32), and between the cognitive subscale of TFI-P and age (r = 0.40). However, no significant difference was found between hearing-impaired and normal hearing subjects in terms of the total score and subscale scores of TFI-P. Furthermore, we found a significant difference between female and male subjects in terms of the relaxation subscale of TFI-P, and between dura tion of tinnitus and the quality of life subscale (r = 0.33).

The scores of the THI-P and TFI-P questionnaires are related to each other and they can be used for measuring the negative effects of tinnitus.