Bilateral Permanent Childhood Hearing Loss and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescence.

Stavros Petrou,Colin Kennedy,Kamran Khan

doi:10.3390/children8060484

Abstract

Little is known about the impact of bilateral permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHL) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The objective of this study was to describe preference-based and non-preference based HRQoL outcomes in adolescence, from both self and proxy perspectives, amongst participants of the Hearing Outcomes Project. The Health Utilities Index Marks II (HUI2) and III (HUI3) and the PedsQLTM Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales were used to measure HRQoL based on self and parent proxy reports in 114 adolescents aged 13–19 years, 76 with bilateral PCHL and 38 with normal hearing, recruited from a population sample that was followed up from birth to adolescence. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analyses were used to estimate the relationship between severity of PCHL and HRQoL outcomes. PCHL was associated with decrements in mean multi-attribute utility score that varied between 0.078 and 0.148 for the HUI2 (p = 0.001) and between 0.205 and 0.315 for the HUI3 (p < 0.001), dependent upon the national tariff set applied and respondent group. Multivariable analyses revealed that, after controlling for clinical and sociodemographic covariates, mean HUI3 multi-attribute utility scores were significantly lower in adolescents with moderately severe, severe and profound hearing loss than in adolescents with normal hearing. Significant differences in physical functioning, social functioning, psychosocial functioning and total PedsQLTM scores were only observed when assessments by parents were relied upon, but these dissipated in the multivariable analyses. Bilateral PCHL is associated with poorer HRQoL outcomes in adolescence. Further studies conducted are needed to understand the trajectory and underpinning mechanisms of HRQoL outcomes following PCHL.

Highlights

Permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHL) is the most common sensory impairment in the early years
This study revealed that decrements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) associated with bilateral permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHL) that were previously observed at primary school age [6] persist into adolescence
PCHL is associated with significantly increased proportions of suboptimal levels of function for between one and four of the seven attributes of the HUI2 and for between two and six of the eight attributes of the HUI3, dependent upon the respondent group

Summary

Introduction

Permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHL) is the most common sensory impairment in the early years. The current burden of resulting disability is estimated to be 1.80 years lived with disability per 1000 of the global population aged 0–19 years, equivalent to 43% of the burden of all intellectual disability and 45% of the burden of all epilepsy over the same range of ages [4]. This highlights the need for interventions to address the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of those with PCHL during the era of the Millennium Development Goals

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion