Abstract
Assessments of standardized region/population-specific audiological characteristics are needed for provision of effective rehabilitative services through reducing costs associated with hearing aids. This study aims to propose a set of standard audiograms representing the Korean population that were derived by analyzing data from the 2009–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationwide epidemiologic study conducted by Korean government organizations. Standard audiograms were derived by applying a hierarchical clustering method from recorded audiologic data that were obtained independently at 6 frequencies for each ear: 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 6.0 kHz (in dB HL). To derive the optimal number of clusters of the desired standard audiograms, cubic clustering criterion, pseudo-F-, and pseudo-t2-statistics were calculated. These analyses resulted in 29 clusters representing a standard audiogram of the South Korean population. Eighteen of the clusters represented normal hearing audiograms (73.11%), while 11 represented hearing-impaired (HI) standard audiograms (27.89%). Of the 11 HI audiograms, 7 were defined as flat-type (17.81%), while the remaining 4 were defined as sloping-type (9.08%). In conclusion, 29 audiograms representing standard audiograms for the Korean population have been derived using KNHANES data. Improved understanding of the characteristics of each cluster may be helpful for development of more personalized, fixed-setting hearing aids.
Highlights
Assessments of standardized region/population-specific audiological characteristics are needed for provision of effective rehabilitative services through reducing costs associated with hearing aids
This study aims to propose a set of standard audiograms representing the Korean population that were derived by analyzing data from the 2009–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationwide epidemiologic study conducted by Korean government organizations
This study aims to propose a set of standard audiograms representing Koreans generated through hierarchical clustering analysis of data from the 2009–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationwide epidemiologic study conducted by Korean government organizations
Summary
Assessments of standardized region/population-specific audiological characteristics are needed for provision of effective rehabilitative services through reducing costs associated with hearing aids. To derive the optimal number of clusters of the desired standard audiograms, cubic clustering criterion, pseudo-F-, and pseudo-t2-statistics were calculated These analyses resulted in 29 clusters representing a standard audiogram of the South Korean population. The proposed sets of audiograms are intended to be used for hearing aid measurements in which the effects of fitting or the use of certain features, such as wireless streaming technology or noise reduction technology, must be demonstrated objectively. This information would be used to generate data and instruction for use on hearing aids, hearing aid features, and fitting methods
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