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International Journal of Audiology Volume 63, 2024 - Issue 4
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Original Articles

Digits in noise testing in a multilingual sample of Asian adults

Jeremy Cheea Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, National University Hospital, SingaporeORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4702-7951View further author information
ORCID Icon,
Robert H. Eikelboomb Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia;c Ear Sciences Centre, Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia;d Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa;e Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, AustraliaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2911-5381View further author information
ORCID Icon,
Cas Smitsf Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1617-1253View further author information
ORCID Icon,
De Wet Swanepoelb Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia;d Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa;g Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USAORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8313-1636View further author information
ORCID Icon,
Shiou Liang Weeh Geriatric Education and Research Institute, SingaporeORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7853-4112View further author information
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Tze Pin Ngh Geriatric Education and Research Institute, Singapore;i Department of Psychological Medicine, National University of Singapore, SingaporeORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9585-855XView further author information
ORCID Icon &
Rebecca L. Heywoodb Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia;c Ear Sciences Centre, Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia;j Department of Otolaryngology, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, SingaporeCorrespondence[email protected]
ORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3193-751XView further author information
ORCID Icon show all
Pages 269-274 | Received 06 Oct 2020, Accepted 08 Feb 2023, Published online: 27 Feb 2023
 
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Abstract

Objective

Appropriate speech-in noise assessment is challenging in multilingual populations. This study aimed to assess whether first preferred language affected performance on an English Digits-in-noise (DIN) test in the local Asian multilingual population, controlling for hearing threshold, age, sex, English fluency and educational status. A secondary aim was to determine the association between DIN test scores and hearing thresholds.

Design

English digit-triplets in noise testing and pure-tone audiometry were conducted. Multiple regression analysis was performed with DIN scores and hearing thresholds as dependent variables. Correlation analysis was performed between DIN-SRT and hearing thresholds.

Study sample

165 subjects from the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study, a population-based longitudinal study of community-dwellers over 55 years of age.

Results

Mean DIN speech reception threshold (DIN-SRT) was −5.7 dB SNR (SD 3.6; range 6.7 to −11.2). Better ear pure tone average and English fluency were significantly associated with DIN-SRT.

Conclusions

DIN performance was independent of first preferred language in a multilingual ageing Singaporean population after adjusting for age, gender and education. Those with poorer English fluency had a significantly lower DIN-SRT score. The DIN test has the potential to provide a quick, uniform method of testing speech in noise in this multilingual population.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the National Healthcare Group Domain Specific Review Board (NHG DSRB Ref: 2016/00962).

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants

Geolocation information

Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data not available due to ethical restrictions.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by the JurongHealth Research and Development Grant Award (Grant number 16/59).

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