Accuracy of Self-reported Hearing Loss

TLDR

The study aimed to evaluate how accurately older adults report hearing loss using questionnaire items. The study examined 3,556 adults aged 48–92 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, comparing responses to a ten‑question HHIE‑S and four additional items with pure‑tone audiometry. The single question “Do you feel you have a hearing loss?” proved most sensitive (71%) and produced prevalence estimates within 3.2 % of audiometric values, whereas an HHIE‑S score < 8 had low sensitivity (34%), suggesting that one simple question may suffice for prevalence surveys in older adults.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy, in older adults, of questions assessing hearing loss. Study participants (n=3,556), aged 48–92 years, were examined in a population-based study of age-related hearing loss in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Self-report data from the ten-question Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-screening Version (HHIE-S), and four additional questions were compared with hearing loss as measured by pure-tone air conduction audiometry. The single question, 'Do you feel you have a hearing loss?' was the most sensitive question (sensitivity=71 per cent); its overall and gender-specific prevalence estimates were within 3.2 per cent of prevalence measures derived audiometrically, although age-group specific estimates were not as accurate. Using an HHIE-S total score <8 resulted in low sensitivity (34 per cent) and inaccurate prevalence estimates. These results indicate that, for some applications, one simple question may be sufficient for prevalence surveys of hearing loss among older adults.