Validity of the Turkish Situational Vertigo Questionnaire

Turkish Adaptation of the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire: Validity and Reliability Study

This study was planned to examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ), which is used to evaluate dizziness symptoms frequently seen in vestibular pathologies and triggered by visual or environmental stimuli. The research is designed as a methodological scale adaptation and psychometric evaluation study. The study plans to include individuals aged 18 and over who can read and understand Turkish and have complaints of situational dizziness. The Turkish adaptation process of the SVQ will be carried out using the back-and-forth translation method; a pilot application will be conducted after ensuring linguistic and cultural equivalence. For the psychometric evaluation, the sample size is planned to be at least 10 times the number of items, and participants will be asked to complete the SVQ, as well as the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). To evaluate test-retest reliability, a subgroup of participants will be re-administered the SVQ after 7 days. No invasive procedures will be performed on participants during the research; only survey forms will be used. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants, and data will be coded and analyzed in accordance with confidentiality principles. It is expected that the findings of this study will contribute to the literature by establishing a valid and reliable measurement tool in Turkish for the evaluation of situational dizziness symptoms and will support clinical evaluation processes.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Vestibular Pathology
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: validity and reliability

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 3

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ebru Sever, MsC, PT; Phone Number: 05336824227; Email: ebru.sever@kocaelisaglik.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Güneşli
    • Bağcılar, Güneşli, Turkey (Türkiye), 34200
      • Recruiting
      • Güneşli Erdem Hastanesi
      • Contact: Güneşli Erdem hastane; Phone Number: 08502220494

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Frequent complaints of dizziness and imbalance in vestibular pathologies are significant clinical problems that negatively affect individuals' daily life activities, social participation, and quality of life. In particular, valid and reliable measurement tools reflecting the individual's subjective experience are needed in the evaluation of situational dizziness symptoms triggered by visual or environmental stimuli. In this context, the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ), widely used in the international literature, stands out as an important tool in the evaluation of dizziness symptoms associated with situational and visual stimuli.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Presence of dizziness triggered by visual or environmental stimuli
• Able to read and write Turkish
• Voluntary agreement to participate in the study
• Having the mental capacity to give informed consent (Mini Mental State Scale score ≥ 24)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with severe cognitive impairment or communication difficulties
• Acute neurological disease (stroke, acute MS relapse, etc.)
• Having undergone vestibular surgery within the last 3 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Vestibular Patients; The target population of this study consists of individuals aged 18 years and older who can read and understand Turkish and experience dizziness triggered by visual or environmental stimuli. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including age, sex, occupation, smoking and alcohol use, comorbidities, medical history, medications, daily activity level, onset and type of the condition, fall history, and sensitivity to heights, darkness, and crowded environments, will be recorded using a researcher-designed form. Based on the "item number × 10" rule, at least 190 participants will be included for the 19-item Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ). Participants will complete the SVQ, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), and rate satisfaction using a Visual Analog Scale. Test-retest reliability will be assessed in at least 20% of participants after 7-14 days.

Other: validity and reliability; The Turkish adaptation of the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ) will follow internationally accepted cross-cultural adaptation guidelines using a forward-backward translation method. Two independent bilingual translators will translate the original English version into Turkish, producing two versions that will be compared and synthesized into a preliminary Turkish form. This version will then be back-translated into English by two native English speakers blinded to the original scale. A committee of translators and experts will review all versions to ensure conceptual and linguistic equivalence and create a pre-final Turkish version. The pre-final version will be pilot tested with 20 participants to assess clarity and comprehension. Items reported as unclear will be revised. Finally, the scale will be administered to a larger sample for psychometric evaluation of validity and reliability.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ)	The Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ) is a 19-item self-report scale designed to assess visual vertigo associated with increased visual dependence and insufficient vestibular compensation. Visual vertigo refers to dizziness triggered or worsened in visually complex or disorienting environments such as supermarkets, driving, or moving visual scenes. The condition is thought to arise from difficulties resolving conflicts between visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs. The SVQ asks individuals to rate the severity of dizziness in situations involving visual motion or visual-vestibular conflict. Each item is scored from 0 (none) to 4 (severe), and participants may select "never experienced" if applicable. The total score is calculated based on the average item score, adjusted for items marked as not experienced, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.	Baseline and 7-14 days follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI)	The scale is used to evaluate the physical, emotional, and functional effects of vestibular disorders. Items 1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 17, and 25 assess physical disability; items 2, 9, 10, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23 assess emotional disability; and items 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 16, 19, and 24 assess functional disability. Each item is scored as "yes" (4 points), "no" (0 points), or "sometimes" (2 points). Cut-off values of 28 points for physical disability and 36 points for functional and emotional disability are used. Higher scores indicate more severe dizziness-related impairment.	Baseline and 7-14 days follow-up
Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS)	This questionnaire is designed to assess symptoms accompanying dizziness or perceived imbalance, their frequency, the individual's general mood and anxiety level, and the impact of these symptoms on quality of life. Participants rate each symptom according to how often it occurs using a scale from 0 to 4 (0 = never, 1 = very rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often [about once a week], 4 = very often [most days]). The Turkish validity and reliability of the scale was established by Yanık and colleagues.	Baseline and 7-14 days follow-up

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Participant Satisfaction/Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	Participant satisfaction and enjoyment will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The scale consists of a 10 cm (100 mm) horizontal or vertical line with endpoints representing opposite extremes. In this study, one end indicates "very good satisfaction" and the other indicates "very poor satisfaction (0)." Participants mark the point that best represents their perception. Although commonly used to measure pain intensity, the VAS is also widely applied to evaluate various subjective outcomes. In this study, it will be used to assess participants' level of satisfaction.	Baseline and 7-14 days follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istanbul Medipol University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 16, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 2, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 20, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: validity; reliability; situational vertigo questionnaire; vestibular pathology
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Reproducibility of Results
• Other Study ID Numbers: SVQ Validity and Reliability

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No