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International Journal of Audiology Volume 59, 2020 - Issue 2
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Original Articles

Health-related quality of life in South African children who use cochlear implants

Bianca BrewisDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa;
,
Talita le RouxDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Correspondence[email protected]
,
Kurt SchlemmerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban, South Africa; ;Durban Cochlear Implant Program, Durban, South Africa;
,
Leone NautaJohannesburg Cochlear Implant Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa;
&
Bart VinckDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; ;Speech-Language Audiology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Pages 132-139 | Received 23 May 2018, Accepted 24 Aug 2019, Published online: 13 Sep 2019
 
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Abstract

Objective: To describe health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes of school-going paediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients in a South African cohort from the perspectives of parents.

Design: Parents of school-going CI recipients completed the Children with Cochlear Implants: Parental Perspectives (CCIPP) CI-specific HRQoL questionnaire. The effect of different demographic variables on HRQoL outcomes was also determined.

Study sample: The study sample included 54 parents of school-going (mean age = 12.2 years; SD = 3.6; range = 6.6–18.3 years) CI recipients with at least six months CI experience.

Results: Children’s communication and general functioning with a CI received the most positive parental ratings. Among a number of confirmed statistically significant (p < 0.05) associations between HRQoL outcomes and demographic variables, pre-lingual onset of deafness was linked to better HRQoL in terms of general functioning and well-being. While shorter duration of deafness and unilateral implantation were associated with higher parental ratings for self-reliance and well-being respectively, longer duration of CI use was linked to improved HRQoL outcomes in terms of general functioning.

Conclusion: Parents assigned positive ratings to their child’s HRQoL. This exploration of children’s HRQoL related to their CIs contributes to evidence-based paediatric CI services that promote optimal psychosocial outcomes.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of involved professionals from the three participating CI programmes (Pretoria Cochlear Implant Unit, Johannesburg Cochlear Implant Centre and Durban Cochlear Implant Programme) who contributed towards data collection for this study. Andries Masenge is to be acknowledged for his guidance and valuable support with the data analysis.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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