Measures of hearing impairment and disability as determinants of hearing handicap in the general non-institutionalized adult population
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) and the Self-Assessment of Communication (SAC) measure the two components of hearing handicap--impairment and disability--in the general adult population. Nine hundred and seventy-seven subjects from Lions Clubs around the State of Indiana participated. Subjects were given background questionnaires, standardized health measures, and either the HHIE or SAC to be completed after a hearing test. The results reported are from the 737 subjects who returned their questionnaires. For the population studied, the scores on the HHIE and SAC measured handicap resulting from hearing impairment rather than hearing disability. For adults over the age of 65, chronic conditions other than hearing impairment were reflected in the scores on the HHIE. Furthermore, given the written responses of the subjects, it was clear that they did not consider hearing loss to be a physical chronic condition.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Goldstein, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Audiology|Gerontology
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