Voice-Related Quality of Life in Early Adolescents: A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE: Adolescent voice changes can affect self-identity, psychosocial well-being, and overall quality of life, sometimes resulting in social withdrawal and communication challenges. While adaptations of the Voice Handicap Index, such as the Pediatric VHI and CVHI-10, exist for younger populations, research on the applicability of the original VHI in adolescents remains limited. The present study evaluates the VHI in individuals aged 11-15 years by providing normative data, exploring age and gender variations, and comparing scores between adolescents with and without self-perceived pubertal voice changes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 80 adolescents (11-15 years) recruited from schools in South India. After excluding clinically evident laryngeal pathology, eligible participants completed demographic profiling and VHI. Descriptive statistics and group comparisons were performed. RESULTS: Total VHI scores ranged from 0 to 65 (mean 17.6 ± 17.4), with most participants reporting minimal handicap. A small subgroup of adolescents reporting self-perceived pubertal voice change (n=4) had higher mean scores (35.3 ± 13.7) than their peers (16.7 ± 17.2). Differences by age group and sex were not statistically significant. Across the cohort, functional (6.6 ± 6.6) and physical (6.5 ± 6.1) subscales were more affected than the emotional domain (4.3 ± 5.7). CONCLUSION: This preliminary study provides self-reported VHI values in early adolescents, indicating generally mild handicap in healthy individuals but higher perceived impact among those with self-perceived pubertal voice change. While based on a small symptomatic subgroup, the findings offer early insights that can guide future multicenter studies and the development of adolescent-appropriate validated tools.