The digit triplet test as a self-test for hearing screening at the age of school-entry

Abstract

Objective The current study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the digit triplet test (DTT) as a self-test in normal-hearing children at school-entry age (5–6 years) compared to an administrator-controlled test.Design and study sample Thirty-seven first grade elementary school children took part in this study. Next to a pure-tone screening, the test battery consisted of a DTT speech-in-noise screening (self-test and administrator-controlled assessment), and cognitive tests related to auditory/working memory and attention skills.Results The reference-SRT ± 2SD, obtained with the administrator-controlled DTT, was −9.8 ± 1.6 dB SNR, and could be estimated with a precision of 0.7 dB. The test duration for one ear was about 4.5 min. Self-tests resulted in higher (poorer) SRTs. Only a small proportion of children performed stably across repeated self-test administrations. With about 6 min for one ear, the test duration was rather long. The influence of auditory/working memory and attentional abilities appeared to be limited.Conclusion Our data suggest that a self-administered DTT is not suitable for a large proportion of children at school-entry.