Acceptable noise level (ANL) with Danish and non-semantic speech materials in adult hearing-aid users

Abstract

Objective: The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is used for quantification of the amount of background noise subjects accept when listening to speech. This study investigates Danish hearing-aid users’ ANL performance using Danish and non-semantic speech signals, the repeatability of ANL, and the association between ANL and outcome of the international outcome inventory for hearing aids (IOI-HA). Design: ANL was measured in three conditions in both ears at two test sessions. Subjects completed the IOI-HA and the ANL questionnaire. Study sample: Sixty-three Danish hearing-aid users; fifty-seven subjects were full time users and 6 were part time/non users of hearing aids according to the ANL questionnaire. Results: ANLs were similar to results with American English speech material. The coefficient of repeatability (CR) was 6.5–8.8 dB. IOI-HA scores were not associated to ANL. Conclusions: Danish and non-semantic ANL versions yield results similar to the American English version. The magnitude of the CR indicates that ANL with Danish and non-semantic speech materials is not suitable for prediction of individual patterns of future hearing-aid use or evaluation of individual benefit from hearing-aid features. The ANL with Danish and non-semantic speech materials is not related to IOI-HA outcome.

Key Words::

• Acceptable noise level
• Danish
• test retest
• international speech test signal
• ISTS
• hearing impairment
• repeatability

Acknowledgements

The authors thank engineer Arne Månsson at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen for valuable discussions and advice regarding equipment calibration, and Anders H Rasmussen for integrating the test signals in the audiometric software. Results from the study were presented at the American Auditory Society Annual Meeting March 8–10, 2012, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, and at Tema Hörsel, Linköping, Sweden, March 28–30, 2012.

Declaration of interest: No outside funding or grants in support of this research were received. The authors report no conflicts of interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.