Abstract
To assess differences in hearing disabilities between different age groups and the effectiveness of rehabilitation with hearing aids. Retrospective chart review. First line hearing aid dispensers. First-time hearing aid users divided in a younger group aged 18 to 65 years (119 subjects) and an elderly group aged 70 years and older (213 subjects). Rehabilitative. Weighted pure tone averages (PTA) were calculated using the binaural impairment model. The patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) Amsterdam Questionnaire for Auditory Disabilities (AVAB), and client oriented scale of improvement (COSI) were collected pre- and post-fitting. To analyze whether age group, weighted PTA, and type of auditory dimension influences AVAB, linear regression and two-way ANalysis Of VAriance models were used. The weighted PTA of the young group was significantly lower than of the elderly group. In the regression model differences between age groups were found to be significant for pre-AVAB and for AVAB benefit. The two-way ANalysis Of VAriance showed that the effect of age on pre- and post-AVAB scores was not influenced by PTA or the type of auditory dimension. Younger first-time hearing aid users experience more auditory disabilities, despite better hearing levels than their elderly counterparts. Their disabilities are rehabilitated more effectively by hearing aids.
Published Version
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