Health-related quality of life and knowledge of sign language as a second language in adults with prelingual deafness using cochlear implant

Abstract

The article aims to find an answer to the question whether the knowledge of sign language in the subjective assessment of study participants is connected to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) specific in terms of deafness/hearing and life satisfaction. The study involved 107 people with prelingual deafness using cochlear implants since childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. The results show significant relationship between the quality of life related to deafness/hearing assessed using the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire and the level of knowledge of sign language the following areas: advanced auditory perception and speech perception. Participants fluent in sign language obtained significantly lower results in these areas. Moreover, it was fund that the proportion of people who do not use telephones was larger in the group with a high level of knowledge of sign language than in the groups with medium or no knowledge of sign language. However, there were no significant difference, due to knowledge of sign language, in relation to life satisfaction measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The discussed issue of the role of sign language in relation to the HRQOL in people with prelingual deafness requires further research, including, among others, objective assessment of linguistic competence in Polish Sign Language and the age and method of their acquisition, as well as qualitative research.