Hearing Handicap Research Articles

Arabic Sign Language Recognition in Real Time Using Transfer Deep Learning

People with hearing and speech disabilities in Arab society have obstacles to communicate since Arabic sign language (ArSL) has not been widely understood among society's members. Using technology to translate hand gestures from (ArSL) to written Arabic language can help bridge communication gaps and break down disability barriers in Arab society. latest research utilizes the camera to record the user’s hand features to recognize its gestures. In this research a software was developed to recognize ArSL hand gestures in real time and immediately translate them to written alphabet Arabic letters utilizing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Teachable Machine. Our methodology involves data collection and preparation, Therefore an ArSL alphabet database has been created, with 28 categories representing the Arabic letters. For each letter, 400 images were captured. Then 87.5% of the dataset was passed to Google’s Teachable Machine for training process, after that the dataset was tested and evaluated. Finally, the remaining 12.5% of dataset were used on local host for testing the model generated. The accuracy value for the model on local host was 92%. The experimental output shows the proposed model has good performance results in real time where the average recognition accuracy was 93.8%.

The Application of the Qur'anic Sign Language Method

The development of the Al-Qur'an sign language in Indonesia is based on the Arabic sign language. This writing aims to describe the method of translating the Indonesian Al-Qur'an into sign language, which is currently developing and transforming into the Kitabah Method and Recitation Method. This method has enabled Indonesian People with Hearing and Speech Sensory Disabilities (PDSRW) to be able to read and understand (communicate) the meanings and intentions of the Al-Qur'an, hadith and other Islamic teachings so that they have an essential role in strengthening spiritual and religious ties. Data collection uses qualitative research methods in the form of library research or library research using the Tahlili method, which is extracted and sourced from various libraries. This research shows that the Al-Qur'an sign language, Kitabah Method and Recitation Method can make it easier for Indonesian PDSRW people to understand the Al-Qur'an. However, standardization is still needed to facilitate access to PDSRW.

Proximal auditory AR rehabilitation: system integration and wellness applications-from hearing support up toward vestibular rehabilitation.

We present a new rehabilitation system based on novel principles, which consists of an auditory augmented reality (AR) headset we originated. The auditory AR headset, which does not cover both ears, allows users to hear both Real and Virtual environmental sounds at the same time. It can also be used in combination with Hearing Aids. We have studied a system to support hearing-impaired people and conducted a test evaluation. The system was able to provide convenience akin to "reading glasses for sound" to those who had mild hearing disabilities. Furthermore, by combining the system with surrounding speakers, a completely novel virtual auditory illusion was created in which the sound image jumps into the ear and runs away. We name this "proximal auditory AR (PAAR)" system. This system directly affects the unconscious level of reflexes for maintaining a standing position and can generate very subtle body motion disturbance. Using this system, we can modulate the standing posture and observe the autonomic nerve system's ability to subliminally compensate for the disturbance, using a stabilometer that measures body sways by center of pressure (COP). We observed a significant difference in the declination of COP only when using the PAAR, which is combined with array speakers and the auditory AR headphone, compared using a conventional closed-type and a bone-conduction headphone. By analyzing such big data of physical movement through machine learning, we expect to realize new systems for diagnosis, rehabilitation, function maintenance, and fall prevention.

Legal Protection of Persons with Hearing Disabilities Associated with the Obligation to Read Deeds (Verlijden) For Notaries in Making Notarial Deeds

The Security Office Act (UUJN) contains legal provisions regarding the authenticity of recorded documents that are read but not heard by persons with disabilities; especially Article 16, Section 1, paragraph m of Law No. 16. Law No. 2 of 2014 on the Notary Public (UUJN) Regulation. The research questions of this study are: (1) How are certified texts read but not heard by deaf people; In this study, research methods based on law and theory are used. The data collection process was carried out through literature research. The results of the research show that: (1) Reading the work by the author with the help of a translator is valid if the actual production still complies with the regulations determined by the notary law. (2) The notary must be legal and impromptu, must include information on the official translation promise that the notary knows how to translate, and the face document at the end of the residence document. Making the work done by the notary on behalf of the hearing impaired people realistic, thus obtaining the legal rights of the hearing impaired as a service to the users and binding the legal goods on both parties, especially third parties.

Short- and long-term effects of remote synchronous fine-tuning for first-time hearing aid users: a randomised controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the short- and long-term effect of remote synchronous fine-tuning and follow-up visits on hearing-related problems and hearing aid (HA) benefits for first-time HA users. Design A randomised controlled trial. Study sample Patients at public tax-funded HA clinics in Sweden due for aural rehabilitation (AR) were randomised to either an intervention group (n = 33) or a control group (n = 36). Both groups completed the conventional AR process, but the intervention group received synchronous remote fine-tuning of HAs and online follow-up visits. Outcome measures were used before and after intervention, and 6 months and 1 year after intervention. Results Both groups improved hearing-related problems measured with the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly/Adults over time, and no significant differences were found between the groups. Such improvements were also found for the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit except for the subscale aversiveness. Both groups decreased the use of HAs in hours/day over time. The intervention group reported significant improvements in activity limitation when measured directly after the intervention, compared to the control group. Conclusion Synchronous remote fine-tuning and follow-ups for first-time HA users did not influence the outcomes of hearing-related problems and HA benefits differently from standard care at our clinic.

Novel Wearable System to Recognize Sign Language in Real Time.

The aim of this study is to develop a practical software solution for real-time recognition of sign language words using two arms. This will facilitate communication between hearing-impaired individuals and those who can hear. We are aware of several sign language recognition systems developed using different technologies, including cameras, armbands, and gloves. However, the system we propose in this study stands out for its practicality, utilizing surface electromyography (muscle activity) and inertial measurement unit (motion dynamics) data from both arms. We address the drawbacks of other methods, such as high costs, low accuracy due to ambient light and obstacles, and complex hardware requirements, which have limited their practical application. Our software can run on different operating systems using digital signal processing and machine learning methods specific to this study. For the test, we created a dataset of 80 words based on their frequency of use in daily life and performed a thorough feature extraction process. We tested the recognition performance using various classifiers and parameters and compared the results. The random forest algorithm emerged as the most successful, achieving a remarkable 99.875% accuracy, while the naïve Bayes algorithm had the lowest success rate with 87.625% accuracy. The new system promises to significantly improve communication for people with hearing disabilities and ensures seamless integration into daily life without compromising user comfort or lifestyle quality.

How to Support People with Hearing Impairment beyond Hearing aid Provision - A Systematic Review on Self-Management Interventions

People with hearing handicap have to use a whole range of strategies to cope with everyday challenges - they have to self-manage their hearing impairment. While the support of self-management is well established in foreign language audiological rehabilitation programs, there are no recommendations in Germany yet. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is first to give an overview of existing self-management interventions for people with hearing handicap and then to suggest possible applications in the German care system. A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed. The articles dealt with self-management interventions for people with hearing impairment. This eligibility criterion was applied to titles, abstracts, and full texts. If eligible, information on the publication, intervention, and evaluation were extracted and qualitatively summarized. The methodological quality of studies was investigated using the NIH assessment tool for interventional studies. 23 papers could be included and show a high heterogeneity regarding methodological quality, applied intervention, and design of evaluation. The interventions pursuing various goals include a wide range of content (e. g., communication improvement or psychosocial aspects) and have been implemented on a group-based, individual-based, or self-administered level. Despite a few studies that failed to demonstrate intervention effects, most evaluations found positive ef-fects of the intervention on hearing impairment, psychological well-being, and communication. The included studies present a high heterogeneity with regard to methodological quality, the intervention conducted, and the evaluation design. Therefore, a summary of the findings was only possible in a qualitative manner. Possibilities of adapting existing intervention programs as well as chances and limits of an implementation in the German health care system are to be discussed in the following. Overall, interventions including self-management support seem to be a profitable complement to sole technical device supply and should be further fostered in German-speaking countries as well.

Extended High-Frequency Thresholds: Associations With Demographic and Risk Factors, Cognitive Ability, and Hearing Outcomes in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

This study had two objectives: to examine associations between extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds, demographic factors (age, sex, race/ethnicity), risk factors (cardiovascular, smoking, noise exposure, occupation), and cognitive abilities; and to determine variance explained by EHF thresholds for speech perception in noise, self-rated workload/effort, and self-reported hearing difficulties. This study was a retrospective analysis of a data set from the MUSC Longitudinal Cohort Study of Age-related Hearing Loss. Data from 347 middle-aged adults (45 to 64 years) and 694 older adults (≥ 65 years) were analyzed for this study. Speech perception was quantified using low-context Speech Perception In Noise (SPIN) sentences. Self-rated workload/effort was measured using the effort prompt from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index. Self-reported hearing difficulty was assessed using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly/Adults. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Task and the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test were used to assess selected cognitive abilities. Pure-tone averages representing conventional and EHF thresholds between 9 and 12 kHz (PTA (9 - 12 kHz) ) were utilized in simple linear regression analyses to examine relationships between thresholds and demographic and risk factors or in linear regression models to assess the contributions of PTA (9 - 12 kHz) to the variance among the three outcomes of interest. Further analyses were performed on a subset of individuals with thresholds ≤ 25 dB HL at all conventional frequencies to control for the influence of hearing loss on the association between PTA (9 - 12 kHz) and outcome measures. PTA (9 - 12 kHz) was higher in males than females, and was higher in White participants than in racial Minority participants. Linear regression models showed the associations between cardiovascular risk factors and PTA (9 - 12 kHz) were not statistically significant. Older adults who reported a history of noise exposure had higher PTA (9 - 12 kHz) than those without a history, while associations between noise history and PTA (9 - 12 kHz) did not reach statistical significance for middle-aged participants. Linear models adjusting for age, sex, race and noise history showed that higher PTA (9 - 12 kHz) was associated with greater self-perceived hearing difficulty and poorer speech recognition scores in noise for both middle-aged and older participants. Workload/effort was significantly related to PTA (9 - 12 kHz) for middle-aged, but not older, participants, while cognitive task performance was correlated with PTA (9 - 12 kHz) only for older participants. In general, PTA (9 - 12 kHz) did not account for additional variance in outcome measures as compared to conventional pure-tone thresholds, with the exception of self-reported hearing difficulties in older participants. Linear models adjusting for age and accounting for subject-level correlations in the subset analyses revealed no association between PTA (9 - 12 kHz) and outcomes of interest. EHF thresholds show age-, sex-, and race-related patterns of elevation that are similar to what is observed for conventional thresholds. The current results support the need for more research to determine the utility of adding EHF thresholds to routine audiometric assessment with middle-aged and older adults.

Sign Tone: A Deep Learning-Based Deaf Companion System for Two Way Communication Between Deaf and Non-Deaf Individuals

Communication is essential to express and receive information, knowledge, ideas, and views among people, but it has been quite a while to be an obstruction for people with hearing and mute disabilities. Sign language is one method of communicating with deaf people. Though there is sign language to communicate with non-sign people it is difficult for everyone to interpret and understand. The performance of existing sign language recognition approaches is typically limited. Developing an assistive device that will translate the sign language to a readable format will help the deaf-mutes to communicate with ease to the common people. Recent advancements in the development of deep learning, deep neural networks, especially Temporal convolutional networks (TCNs) have provided solutions to the communication of deaf and mute individuals. In this project, the main objective is to design Deaf Companion System for that to develop SignNet Model to provide two-way communication of deaf individuals and to implement an automatic speaking system for deaf and mute people. It provides two-way communication for all classes of people (deaf-and-mute, hard of hearing, visually impaired, and non-signers) and can be scaled commercially. The proposed system, consists of three modules; the sign recognition module (SRM) that recognizes the signs of a deaf individual using TCN, the speech recognition using Hidden Marko Model and synthesis module (SRSM) that processes the speech of a non-deaf individual and converts it to text, and an Avatar module (AM) to generate and perform the corresponding sign of the non-deaf speech, which were integrated into the sign translation companion system called deaf companion system to facilitate the communication from the deaf to the hearing and vice versa. The proposed model is trained on Indian Sign Language. Then developed a web-based user interface to deploy SignNet Model for ease of use. Experimental results on MNIST sign language recognition datasets validate the superiority of the proposed framework. The TCN model gives an accuracy of 98.5%..

Blast Exposure Associations With Hearing Loss and Self-Reported Hearing Difficulty.

Examine associations between military blast exposures on hearing loss and self-reported hearing difficulties among Active-Duty Service Members (ADSM) and Veterans from the Noise Outcomes in Servicemembers Epidemiology (NOISE) study. Cross-sectional. Multi-institutional tertiary referral centers. Blast exposure was assessed with a comprehensive blast questionnaire. Outcome measures included pure-tone hearing thresholds; Speech Recognition in Noise Test; Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA); and Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ)-12. Twenty-one percent (102/494) of ADSM and 36.8% (196/533) of Veterans self-reported blast exposure. Compared to ADSM without blast exposure, blast-exposed ADSM had increased odds of high frequency (3-8 kHz) and extended-high frequency (9-16 kHz) hearing loss (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, CI: 1.3, 4.7; OR = 3.7, CI: 1.9, 7.0, respectively). ADSM and Veterans with blast exposure were more likely than their nonblast exposed counterparts to report hearing difficulty on the HHIA (OR = 1.9, CI: 1.1, 3.3; OR = 2.1, CI: 1.4, 3.2, respectively). Those with self-reported blast exposure also had lower SSQ-12 scores (ADSM mean difference = -0.6, CI: -1.0, -0.1; Veteran mean difference: -0.9, CI: -1.3, -0.5). Results suggest that blast exposure is a prevalent source of hearing injury in the military. We found that among ADSM, blast exposure was associated with hearing loss, predominately in the higher frequencies. Blast exposure was associated with poorer self-perceived hearing ability in ADSM and Veterans. IRB: #FWH20180143H Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Military Healthcare System; #3159/9495 Joint VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

Change on the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory and associated factors: results from a longitudinal cohort study

Objective Describe how the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory (RHHI) changes over time and determine associated factors. Design Data were from a community-based cohort study. Linear regression models were used to estimate mean baseline and final RHHI scores and change (final minus baseline score). Logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with substantial RHHI change, defined as ±6 points. Factors included baseline age, sex, race, hearing aid use, and baseline pure-tone average (PTA; 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 kHz, worse ear). Study sample This study included 583 participants (mean age: 66.4 [SD 9.1] years; 59.9% female; 14.2% Minority race) with a mean follow-up time of 7.6 (SD 4.9) years. Results Baseline and final RHHI scores were 7.9 and 9.2 points, corresponding to an average 1.3-point increase in hearing difficulty over time. Most participants (65.4%) did not show substantial RHHI change, whereas 21.4% and 13.2% experienced substantial increase and decrease, respectively. In separate multivariable models, PTA and hearing aid use were associated with substantial increase in hearing difficulty, and PTA was associated with substantial decrease. Conclusions The average RHHI change was relatively small. Hearing aid use and PTA were associated with RHHI change.

Types of sensory disability are differentially associated with mental health in older US adults over time.

Sensory disability in older adults is associated with increased rates of depressive symptoms and loneliness. Here, we examined the impact of hearing, vision, and olfaction disability on mental health outcomes in older US adults. We studied respondents from the first three rounds (2005/6, 2010/11, and 2015/16) of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of older US adults. Sensory function was assessed by structured interviewer ratings (hearing and vision) and objective assessment (olfaction). Cox proportional hazards models and one degree of freedom tests for trend were utilized to analyze the relationships between sensory disability and self-rated mental health, frequent depressive symptoms, frequent perceived stress, frequent anxiety symptoms, and frequent loneliness symptoms over time, adjusting for demographics, health behaviors, comorbidities, and cognitive function. We analyzed data from 3940 respondents over 10 years of follow-up. A greater number of sensory disabilities was associated with greater hazard of low self-rated mental health, frequent depressive symptoms, frequent perceived stress, and frequent loneliness symptoms over time (p ≤ 0.003, all). After adjusting for covariates, older adults with a greater number of sensory disabilities had greater hazard of low self-rated mental health (HR = 1.22, CI = [1.08, 1.38], p = 0.002) and loneliness symptoms (HR = 1.13, CI = [1.05, 1.22], p = 0.003) over time in our tests for trend. In our Cox proportional hazards model, older adults with vision disability had greater hazard of low self-rated mental health (HR = 1.34, 95% CI = [1.05, 1.72], p = 0.02) and loneliness symptoms (HR = 1.21, CI = [1.04, 1.41], p = 0.01). Older US adults with greater numbers of sensory disabilities face worse subsequent mental health. Future longitudinal studies dissecting the relationship of all five classical senses will be helpful in further understanding how improving sensory function might improve mental health in older adults.

Effect of acupuncture intervention time on the therapeutic effect in patients with sudden hearing loss.

To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture intervention at different time for patients with sudden hearing loss. According to the timing of acupuncture intervention, 86 patients were divided into early exposure group (n=43) and late exposure group (n=43) . The early exposure group was given acupuncture treatment within 14 days of onset, and the late exposure group was given acupuncture treatment after 14 days of onset. After propensity score matching (PSM, a statistical matching technique for observational data) processing by using SPSS26.0 software, outcomes of 30 cases in the early exposure group and 30 cases in the late exposure group were analyzed. In addition to receiving basic treatment with drugs for vascular dilatation, thrombolysis, nourishing nerve, etc., all patients of the two groups were treated with neck acupuncture ("Neck Seven Meridian Lines" acupuncture), once every other day except Sundays, for a total of 12 time. Before, after the treatment and 3 months after the treatment, the total score of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI, 0, 2 and 4 points for each of the 25 items, total scores = 100 points) scale was used to evaluate the improvement of tinnitus symptoms caused by hearing loss. The clinical therapeutic effect was evaluated according to the efficacy grading criteria in the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Sudden Deafness (2015) and the changes of pure tone audiometry curve. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of factors that might influence efficacy before propensity score matching. The THI scores of patients in both groups decreased strikingly after the treatment and 3 months' follow-up (P<0.05). Compared with the same time-points of the late exposure group, the total THI scores of post-treatment and 3 months' follow-up were evidently lower in the early exposure group (P<0.05). The effective rate of the early exposure group (22/30, 80.00%) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the late exposure group (16/30, 53.33%). The classification of sudden deafness and the application of traditional Chinese medicine in this study were not independent factors affecting the total effective rate. The time point of acupuncture intervention is an important factor affecting the effect on hearing and tinnitus disability of patients with sudden deafness. The earlier acupuncture treatment is accepted, the better the therapeutic effect is.

Awareness and Knowledge of Congenital Cytomegalovirus as an Agent of Hearing Loss: A Descriptive Evidence from Nigeria

Background Neonatal hearing loss has become a serious public health concern over the last two decades, largely because of the increasing number of reported cases associated with prelingual causes. Objective This study provided a descriptive report on the awareness and knowledge of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) as a causative agent of hearing loss in the Nigerian population. Methods The study adopted a multistage sampling procedure. Data generation for analysis was achieved using a structured research questionnaire. A questionnaire on the issue of cCMV and hearing disability was sent to a total of 324 relevant stakeholders, and 324 completed questionnaires were received in return. The data was carefully coded and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. Results Experience sharing among professional colleagues, particularly those in the healthcare sector, remains the major source of information about cCMV in Nigeria. A significant association was found between the respondents’ professional work experience, organizational type, highest educational qualifications, and awareness and knowledge of cCMV. No predictive likelihood could be established between gender differences (male or female), organizational type (private or public), and awareness or knowledge of cCMV. Conclusion Information from and experience sharing among professional colleagues, family and friends and through the internet were major sources of information about cCMV in Nigeria. Work experience, organizational type, and educational qualifications determine the level of awareness and knowledge about cCMV in Nigeria.

Teaching resources in the production of writing of the English Language in deaf students

The research was related to the didactic resources in the production of writing in the deaf students of 1st-year high school of the Private Educational Unit "El Oasis". Its objective was to determine the teaching resources to improve the writing production of the English language in deaf students. For information purposes, the research had a qualitative approach with the purpose of generating information based on the narratives obtained during the implementation of an interview with the English subject teacher and the student's representative. The results presented show that the use of teaching resources positively influences the development of English language skills, especially writing skills, especially when it comes to students with different degrees of hearing impairment, where this is the only means of communication due to because teachers do not know sign language. On the other hand, it was determined that the student with hearing disabilities learns English much faster than other subjects because she likes and watches many movies titled in English and relates the vocabulary, she learned in class with what she reads in the movies.

Obstacles to Marriage for Jordanian Persons with Visual or Hearing Disabilities from Their Perspectives

This study explores the obstacles to marriage for persons with physical disabilities (visual or hearing) from the perspective of persons with physical disabilities. To achieve the study's objectives, a questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of 544 people with physical disabilities (201 female and 343 male). The results indicated that the obstacles to marriage for persons with physical disabilities, according to the participants’ perspectives, were of a moderate degree. The most impactful impediments were found to be economic, followed by social and psychological ones, and challenges pertaining to the type of impairment had the least effect. When it came to the sample's responses to the scale's sections on gender, academic standing, marital status, and the existence of a handicap in the family, the results did not reveal any statistically significant differences. However, statistically significant differences were observed based on the specialization variable, in favour of scientific colleges.

Chronic Health Conditions, Disability, and Physical and Cognitive Limitations among LGBTQ+ Cancer Survivors.

Cancer survivors are at high risk for chronic health conditions and physical and cognitive limitations. However, few studies have explored these outcomes among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (LGBTQ+) survivors. We used pooled, weighted Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 23 states that completed two specific modules at least once from 2020 to 2022. We calculated age-adjusted prevalence for heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depressive disorders, myocardial infarction, kidney disease, stroke, diabetes, hearing disability, vision disability, cognitive limitations, and difficulty walking, dressing, and running errands in LGBTQ+, lesbian, gay, or bisexual, transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC), and non-LGBTQ+ cancer survivors. Four multivariable logistic regression models controlling for different factors were run for each outcome. Of 40,990 cancer survivors, 1,715 were LGBTQ+. LGBTQ+ survivors had significantly higher age-adjusted prevalence of all outcomes. The prevalence of all outcomes was the highest among TGNC survivors, except for depressive disorders and cognitive limitations. LGBTQ+ survivors had higher odds of reporting asthma [adjusted OR (aOR): 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-1.9], depressive disorders (aOR: 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6-2.4), kidney disease (aOR: 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.1), stroke (aOR: 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.3), diabetes (aOR: 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.6), vision disability (aOR: 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2), cognitive limitations (aOR: 2.3; 95% CI, 1.8-2.9), difficulty walking (aOR: 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.0), dressing (aOR: 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5-2.7), and running errands (aOR: 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3-2.1). In TGNC models, TGNC cancer survivors had increased odds of most outcomes in comparison to cisgender survivors. LGBTQ+ cancer survivors have an elevated burden of all chronic health conditions, disabilities, and limitations assessed. TGNC cancer survivors experience even higher burden of the same outcomes. Findings highlight substantial disparities regarding the health of LGBTQ+ cancer survivors. See related In the Spotlight, p. 1395.

Social Assistance Mechanisms and Achieving Social Support for People With Hearing Disabilities

Social Assistance Mechanisms and Achieving Social Support for People With Hearing Disabilities

Prevalence of self-reported hearing difficulty on the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory and associated factors

BackgroundHearing loss is common in aging adults and is an important public health concern. Self-reported measures of hearing difficulty are often used in research and clinical practice, as they capture the functional impacts of hearing loss on individuals. However, little research has evaluated the prevalence or factors associated with self-reported hearing difficulty. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-reported hearing difficulty, measured by the Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory (RHHI), and associated factors.MethodsThis study was conducted in a community-based cohort study based in Charleston, SC. We determined the prevalence of RHHI self-reported hearing difficulty (score ≥ 6 points) and evaluated associated factors with logistic regression models. Results are presented as odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).ResultsThere were 1558 participants included in this study (mean age 63.7 [SD 14.4], 56.9% female, 20.0% Minority race). The prevalence of RHHI self-reported hearing difficulty was 48.8%. In a multivariable model, older age (per + 1 year; OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.96, 0.98]), Minority (vs. White) race (OR 0.68 [95% CI 0.49, 0.94]), and speech-in-noise scores that are better than predicted (OR 0.99 [95% CI 0.98, 1.00]) were associated with lower odds of RHHI self-reported hearing difficulty. Furthermore, female (vs. male) sex (OR 1.39 [95% CI 1.03, 1.86]), higher PTA in the worse ear (per + 1 dB; OR 1.10 [95% CI 1.09, 1.12]), more comorbid conditions (vs. 0; 1 condition: OR 1.50 [95% CI 1.07, 2.11]; 2 conditions: OR 1.96 [95% CI 1.32, 2.93]; 3 + conditions: OR 3.00 [95% CI 1.60, 5.62]), noise exposure (OR 1.54 [95% CI 1.16, 2.03]), bothersome tinnitus (OR 2.16 [95% CI 1.59, 2.93]), and more depressive symptoms (OR 1.04 [95% CI 1.01, 1.07]) were associated with higher odds of RHHI self-reported hearing difficulty.ConclusionsThe prevalence of RHHI self-reported hearing difficulty is high, and associated factors included demographics, audiometric hearing and other hearing-related factors, and physical and mental health. The RHHI likely captures functional impacts of hearing loss that are not captured by audiometry alone. Study findings can support the correct interpretation of the RHHI in research and clinical settings.

Real-Time Arabic Sign Language Recognition Using a Hybrid Deep Learning Model.

Sign language is an essential means of communication for individuals with hearing disabilities. However, there is a significant shortage of sign language interpreters in some languages, especially in Saudi Arabia. This shortage results in a large proportion of the hearing-impaired population being deprived of services, especially in public places. This paper aims to address this gap in accessibility by leveraging technology to develop systems capable of recognizing Arabic Sign Language (ArSL) using deep learning techniques. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model to capture the spatio-temporal aspects of sign language (i.e., letters and words). The hybrid model consists of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier to extract spatial features from sign language data and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) classifier to extract spatial and temporal characteristics to handle sequential data (i.e., hand movements). To demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed hybrid model, we created a dataset of 20 different words, resulting in 4000 images for ArSL: 10 static gesture words and 500 videos for 10 dynamic gesture words. Our proposed hybrid model demonstrates promising performance, with the CNN and LSTM classifiers achieving accuracy rates of 94.40% and 82.70%, respectively. These results indicate that our approach can significantly enhance communication accessibility for the hearing-impaired community in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this paper represents a major step toward promoting inclusivity and improving the quality of life for the hearing impaired.