Restriction in social participation and satisfaction with hearing aids - a study on post-fitting

To identify the benefit and assess the satisfaction with the use of hearing aids and perception of limited social participation caused by hearing loss in adult and elderly hearing aids users. Another aim is to check whether there is a correlation between such measures.

Methods

The study included both male and female individuals who were assisted in a public hospital. The participants were asked to assign a score between 1 and 10 to their hearing level before and after starting to use hearing aids. They answered instruments that measure social participation restriction and satisfaction with use of hearing aids: the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA), the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) or the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening Version (HHIE-S). Statistical analysis was performed. The level of statistical significance was 5%.

Results

Of the 42 individuals, 64.3% were elderly. IOI-HA total instrument scores, its factors 1 and 2 and HHIE-S presented a correlation with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) before amplification. There was correlation between the total IOI-HA instrument and its factor 2 with HHIE-S, total HHIA emotional and social domains.

Conclusion

Adults and elderly are satisfied with their hearing aid, and there was no difference between both groups. There is a directly inverse relationship between hearing loss levels and self-perception of hearing loss after hearing aid fitting. Also, the less restricted social participation is, the more benefits of using hearing aids are perceived by users.

Hearing aids; Surveys and questionnaires; Auditory perception; Hearing loss; Hearing

Variables	Total (n=42; 100%)	Adults (n=15; 35.7%)	Elderly (n=27; 64.3%)	p-value
Age (years) – mean ± SD	63.4 ± 13.1	50.1 ± 9.5	70.8 ± 7.9	<0.001*^a
Sex – n (%)
Female	26 (61.9)	10 (66.7)	16 (59.3)	0.887^b
Male	16 (38.1)	5 (33.3)	11 (40.7)
Occupation – n (%)
Retired	31 (73.8)	7 (46.7)	24 (88.9)	0.008*^c
Worker	11 (26.2)	8 (53.3)	3 (11.1)
Schooling (years) – MD (P25 – P75)	6 (4 – 11)	8 (5 – 11)	5 (3 – 11)	0.121^d
Hearing aid side – n (%)
Bilateral	38 (90.5)	13 (86.7)	25 (92.6)	0.608^c
Unilateral	4 (9.5)	2 (13.3)	2 (7.4)
Length of use (years) – MD (P25 – P75)	2.1 (0.3 – 3.9)	2 (0.4 – 3.9)	2.5 (0.3 – 3.8)	0.713^d
Model – n (%)
BTE with earmold	40 (95.2)	15 (100)	25 (92.6)	0.530^c
Open-fit BTE	2 (4.8)	0 (0.0)	2 (7.4)

Variables	Total (n=42; 100%)	Adults (n=15; 35.7%)	Elderly (n=27; 64.3%)	p-value
Four-tone average - mean ± SD
RE	57.3 ± 19.1	54.4 ± 19.8	58.9 ± 18.9	0.478^a
LE	62.4 ± 21.8	62.7 ± 24.5	62.2 ± 20.7	0.948^a
Type of loss – n (%)
RE
Sensorineural	30 (71.4)	12 (80.0)	18 (66.7)	0.173^b
Mixed	11 (26.2)	2 (13.3)	9 (33.3)
Conductive	1 (2.4)	1 (6.7)	0 (0.0)
LE
Sensorineural	27 (65.9)	10 (71.4)	17 (63.0)	0.254^b
Mixed	13 (31.7)	3 (21.4)	10 (37.0)
Conductive	1 (2.4)	1 (7.1)	0 (0.0)
Degree of loss – n (%)
LE
Normal	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0.980^b
Mild	9 (21.4)	3 (20.0)	6 (22.2)
Moderate	15 (35.7)	6 (40.0)	9 (33.3)
Severe	15 (35.7)	5 (33.3)	10 (37.0)
Profound	3 (7.1)	1 (6.7)	2 (7.4)
RE
Normal	1 (2.4)	0 (0.0)	1 (3.7)	0.508^b
Mild	8 (19.0)	3 (20.0)	5 (18.5)
Moderate	15 (35.7)	7 (46.7)	8 (29.6)
Severe	8 (19.0)	1 (6.7)	7 (25.9)
Profound	10 (23.8)	4 (46.7)	6 (22.2)

Questionnaire	Total (n=42; 100%)	Adults (n=15; 35.7%)	Elderly (n=27; 64.3%)	p-value
IOI-HA
Total mean ± SD	32.0 ± 3.6	32.2 ± 4.2	31.9 ± 3.2	0.815
Factor 1 mean ± SD	17.6 ± 2.0	18.1 ± 1.9	17.3 ± 2.1	0.266
Factor 2 mean ± SD	12.7 ± 2.2	12.3 ± 2.8	12.9 ± 1.8	0.412

Variables	HHIE-S	HHIA	IOI-HA Factor 1	IOI-HA Factor 2	IOI-HA Total	NRS before HA	NRS after HA
Average of best ear	r_s=-0.007; p=0.971	r_s=0.288; p=0.298	r_s=0.009; p=0.955	r_s=-0.249; p=0.112	r_s=-0.185; p=0.241	r_s=0.358; p=0.020*	r_s=-0.339; p=0.028*
NRS before HA	r_s=-0.382; p=0.049*	r_s=-0.118; p=0.675	r_s=0.536; p=0.000*	r_s=0.322; p=0.038*	r_s=0.492; p=0.001*	r_s=1.000 .	r_s=-0.134; p=0.397
NRS after HA	r_s=0.170; p=0.395	r_s=-0.073; p=0.796	r_s=-0.245; p=0.118	r_s=-0.062 p=0.698	r_s=-0.091 p=0.567	r_s=-0.134 p=0.397	r_s=1.000; .

Variables	HHIE-S	HHIA Total	Emotional HHIA	Social HHIA
IOI – HA
Total	r_s=-0.449; p=0.019*	r_s=-0.796; p<0.001*	r_s=-0.778; p=0.001*	r_s=-0.749; p=0.001*
Factor 1	r_s=-0.305; p=0.122	r_s=-0.373; p=0.171	r_s=-0.443; p=0.098	r_s=-0.321; p=0.243
Factor 2	r_s=-0.384; p=0.048*	r_s=-0.801; p<0.001*	r_s=-0.789; p<0.001*	r_s=-0.752; p=0.001*
Improvement in NRS	r_s=-0.293; p=0.138	r_s=-0.265; p=0.339	r_s=-0.417; p=0.122	r_s=-0.191; p=0.496

Academia Brasileira de Audiologia Rua Itapeva, 202, conjunto 61, CEP 01332-000, Tel.: (11) 3253-8711, Fax: (11) 3253-8473 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revista@audiologiabrasil.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Corresponding author: Adriane Ribeiro Teixeira. E-mail: adriane.teixeira@gmail.com