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Abstract
Objective: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in hearing-impaired adolescents and children and to compare it with that of hearing individuals.
Study design and setting: Hearing-impaired adolescents and children were recruited to the study during their annual control visit to the Hearing Clinic of Helsinki University Hospital. They filled in a HRQoL questionnaire, either the 16-dimensional 16D (adolescents aged 12–17 years) or the 17-dimensional 17D (children aged 7–11 years). The total HRQoL scores were compared with previously collected data, matched for age and gender, from adolescents and children without any known handicaps or illnesses.
Results: In total 50 adolescents and 50 children completed the questionnaire. Of the 16/17 dimensions of the HRQoL instrument, hearing and communication were affected the most. The total HRQoL scores were somewhat lower in adolescents and children with hearing impairment than in the general populations of age-matched peers (p < .001 for adolescents and .030 for children).
Conclusions: HRQoL in hearing-impaired adolescents and children is only slightly worse than in hearing adolescents and children.
Significance: This study evaluates the impact of hearing loss on HRQoL to enhance the care of these children.
Chinese abstract
目的：评估听力障碍青少年和儿童的健康相关的生活质量（HRQoL）, 并将其与听力正常的个人进行比较。
研究设计和设置：在年度控制性就诊于赫尔辛基大学医院听力诊所期间, 听力受损的青少年和儿童被纳入该研究。他们填写了HRQoL问卷, 无论是16维16D（12-17岁青少年）还是17维17D（7-11岁儿童）。将HRQoL总分与先前收集的数据根据相同的年龄和性别进行比较, 后者来自未患有任何已知障碍或疾病的青少年和儿童。
结果：共有50名青少年和50名儿童完成问卷调查。在HRQoL器具的16/17维度中, 听力和沟通受到的影响最大。听力障碍的青少年和儿童的总HRQoL得分低于同龄人群（青少年p < 0.001, 儿童p < 0.030）。
结论：患听力障碍的青少年和儿童的HRQoL仅略低于听力正常的青少年和儿童。
意义：本研究评估听力损失对HRQoL的影响, 以改善对这些儿童的护治。
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.