Developing the Hungarian version of the MATCH test from the original German language: an evidence-based protocol for the translation, cultural adaptation and validation of paediatric speech audiometry tests from one language into another.

Abstract

Speech audiometry is widely used in routine clinical settings to assess auditory function in children. Appropriate test materials are available in languages such as English or German; however, formally validated translations do not exist in less widely spoken languages such as Hungarian. This protocol aims to describe an evidence-based process of translation, cultural adaptation and validation of a paediatric speech audiometry test from its original language into another. The Mainzer Audiometric Test for Children (MATCH) is a picture-pointing speech audiometry test for children aged 3-6 years. It will be translated from the original German into Hungarian in six phases: (1) identification of MATCH test items and validation of MATCH picture recognisability among children; (2) confirmation of linguistic conformity by comparing phoneme distribution of Hungarian test vocabulary to spontaneous Hungarian speech reference data; (3) recording of Hungarian speech material in a sound-treated environment complying with ISO 8253-3:2022 standards; (4) evaluation of the homogeneity of the intelligibility of the recorded Hungarian test items through speech recognition testing in adults; (5) standardisation of the Hungarian MATCH test on a cohort of normal-hearing children aged 3-6 years whose dominant language is Hungarian and (6) assessment of the diagnostic validity of the Hungarian version of the MATCH by comparing MATCH speech recognition thresholds to pure-tone audiometry results. To determine sensitivity, specificity and optimal cut-off points for the Hungarian test in detecting hearing loss among children aged 3-6 years, receiver operating characteristic analysis will be used. The protocol has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07156825), complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, and has been approved by the medical ethics committee at Semmelweis University Budapest (Ref. nr.: SE RKEB 312/2021). The study using the speech test is currently in progress. The results and conclusions will be shared with the scientific community through publication in a peer-reviewed journal. NCT07156825.