Abstract
Background: Dizziness is a common problem in daily life, significantly affecting patients’ health, mental well-being, and quality of life. Assessment scales for dizziness have been developed to help evaluate its severity and the recovery.
Objective: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) into Vietnamese, to evaluate its test–retest reliability, and to examine the correlation between the Vietnamese version of the DHI and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in patients with dizziness at Military Hospital 175.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from January 2024 to December 2025. The Vietnamese adaptation of the DHI followed a standardized process including forward translation, backward translation, and expert panel review. The preliminary version was pilot-tested in 30 patients with dizziness, and feedback was reviewed to finalize the Vietnamese DHI. The finalized version was then administered to 73 patients at two time points on the same day (at the beginning and end of the clinical visit, prior to therapeutic intervention), concurrently with the VAS assessment. Test–retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and the correlation between the Vietnamese DHI and VAS was assessed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient.
Results: Several linguistic modifications were made to the Vietnamese DHI to ensure cultural and contextual appropriateness. DHI scores in the study sample (n = 73) ranged from mild to severe levels, reflecting a wide spectrum of dizziness-related disability. The Vietnamese DHI demonstrated excellent test–retest reliability, with an ICC of 0.985 (95% confidence interval: 0.976–0.990), comparable to previously validated versions in other languages. A moderate-to-good positive correlation was observed between DHI and VAS scores (Spearman’s ρ = 0.52, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The Vietnamese version of the DHI exhibits excellent test–retest reliability and is a valid instrument for assessing dizziness-related functional disability in Vietnamese patients. This tool has strong potential for routine clinical use to support diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, and evaluation of treatment outcomes. Further studies with larger sample sizes and the involvement of linguistic experts are recommended to enhance and further standardize the Vietnamese version.