Psychometric properties of the hearing handicap questionnaire: a Kannada (South-Indian) translation

<p><i>Objective:</i> To assess the psychometric properties of the Hearing Handicap Questionnaire (HHQ) in Kannada (a South-Indian language) among adults with hearing loss. <i>Design:</i> The study involved a cross-sectional survey design. Participants provided demographic details and completed the Kannada and English (original) version of the HHQ questionnaire. To evaluate test-retest reliability, ∼50% of the participants completed the Kannada version for the second time after 15 days. <i>Study sample:</i> The sample comprised 103 adults with hearing loss recruited from local audiology clinics. <i>Results:</i> Exploratory factor analysis indicated a one-factor structure, which explained 71% of the variance in Kannada-HHQ scores. The internal consistency measured with Cronbach’s alpha was 0.96. The test-retest reliability correlations of the Kannada version with the English and with the same Kannada version re-administered after 15 days were 0.96 and 0.91, respectively. Convergent validity of the scale was confirmed by significant correlations with the Participation Scale and the Assessment of Quality of Life scales. Discriminant validity was found to be low as all the Kannada-HHQ questions were highly correlated with each other (<i>r</i>> 0.60). No floor and ceiling effects were identified. <i>Conclusions:</i> The psychometric properties of the Kannada-HHQ scale are considered to be adequate for clinical or research use.</p

Social representation of hearing aids among people with hearing loss: An exploratory study

Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine the social representation (SR) of hearing aids in people with hearing loss (PHL) in India, the Republic of Korea (ROK), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (US). Design: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. The data collected by using a free association task were analysed qualitatively (i.e. content analysis) and quantitatively (i.e. chi-square analysis, similarities analysis, prototypical analysis). Study sample: 424 participants with hearing loss. Results: The most commonly reported categories across all countries were “beneficial,” “cost and time,” and “appearance and design.” Approximately 50% of the associations reported were negative. There were variations in terms of the categories that were predominant in the SR of each country. “Others actions and attitude" category was predominantly reported by PHL in India. “Disturbance” and “dissatisfaction” of hearing aids and the “repairs and maintenance of hearing aids” categories were mainly reported from the ROK and the US, respectively. Conclusions: The current results highlight the main aspects that PHL report spontaneously when they think about hearing aids. The findings will help to further inform public health campaigns and will contribute to develop culturally appropriate media materials regarding hearing aids

Social representation of hearing loss and hearing aids

This study examined the social representation of hearing loss and hearing aids in people with hearing loss (PHL) in India, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and the United States using Social Representation Theory. The study helps to understand collective view of PHL about hearing loss and hearing aids. The results will aid to develop culturally appropriate public education campaigns, marketing material and appropriate rehabilitation for PHL with the aim to reduce delay in seeking help and improve hearing aid adoption. Summary: Background and Objective: Despite the negative consequences of hearing loss, people with hearing loss (PHL) wait about 10 years before seeking professional help and adopt hearing aid. Much of the knowledge in hearing help-seeking and hearing aid adoption have used attitude theories and stigma theory. However, the strategies developed based on these theories have not resulted in any substantial improvements to help-seeking behavior. Thus, it is essential to consider alternative theories (e.g., Theory of Social Representations) which have been successfully used in disability research to better understand how PHL perceives hearing loss and hearing aids to improve help seeking and hearing aid adoption. The aim of the current study was to examine the social representation of hearing loss and hearing aids in PHL in India, Republic of Korea (ROK), United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Social representation refers to values, practices, customs, ideas, and beliefs that are shared between individuals in a society or group. Design: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. 424 participants were recruited using a consecutive sampling method in four countries (India, ROK, UK and US). Data was collected using a free association task self-reported questionnaire and analyzed using qualitative (i.e., content analysis) and quantitative (similarities analysis, prototypical analysis, and Chi-square analysis) techniques. Results: The free associations of the PHL relating to hearing loss were grouped into 37 categories. The most commonly reported categories were ‘communication difficulties,’ ‘negative mental state,’ ‘ageing,’ ‘assessment and management,’ ‘causes of hearing loss,’ ‘hearing ability or disability,’ ‘hearing instruments,’ and ‘symptoms of hearing loss.’ Similarities analysis and prototypical analysis highlighted two main negative categories ‘negative mental state’ and ‘communication difficulties’ which form the central elements of social representation of hearing loss. PHL associated hearing loss mainly as a negative phenomenon but with some positive and neutral aspects. ROK respondents reported a greater number of neutral associations compared to other countries. In terms of the hearing aids, the free associations were grouped into 45 categories. The frequently reported categories across all countries were ‘beneficial,’ ‘cost and time’ and ‘appearance and design.’ Approximately 50% of the associations reported were negative. There were variations in terms of the categories that were predominant in the social representation of each country. ‘Others' actions and attitude’ category was predominantly reported by PHL in India. ‘Disturbance’ and ‘dissatisfaction’ of hearing aids and the ‘repairs and maintenance of hearing aids’ categories were mainly reported from the ROK and the US, respectively. Overall, there were cross cultural similarities and differences in PHL’s social representation of hearing loss and hearing aids, although more similarities than differences were noted. Conclusions: The study provides an insight into how PHL collectively view hearing loss and hearing aids. We believe that these findings will help to develop our understanding of the influence of culture on the social representation of hearing loss and hearing aids. The results will aid the development of culturally appropriate public education campaigns, marketing material and appropriate rehabilitation for PHL with the aim to improve help-seeking and hearing aid adoption

Social representation of hearing loss: Cross-cultural study in India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom

 Background: Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic conditions in older adults. In audiology literature, several studies have examined the attitudes and behavior of people with hearing loss; however, not much is known about the manner in which society in general views and perceives hearing loss. This exploratory study was aimed at understanding the social representation of hearing loss (among the general public) in the countries of India, Iran, Portugal, and the UK. We also compared these social representations. Materials and methods: The study involved a cross-sectional design, and participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method. A total of 404 people from four countries participated in the study. Data were collected using a free-association task where participants were asked to produce up to five words or phrases that came to mind while thinking about hearing loss. In addition, they were also asked to indicate if each word they presented had positive, neutral, or negative associations in their view. Data were analyzed using various qualitative and quantitative methods. Results: The most frequently occurring categories were: assessment and management; causes of hearing loss; communication difficulties; disability; hearing ability or disability; hearing instruments; negative mental state; the attitudes of others; and sound and acoustics of the environment. Some categories were reported with similar frequency in most countries (eg, causes of hearing loss, communication difficulties, and negative mental state), whereas others differed among countries. Participants in India reported significantly more positive and fewer negative associations when compared to participants from Iran, Portugal, and the UK. However, there was no statistical difference among neutral responses reported among these countries. Also, more differences were noted among these countries than similarities. Conclusion: These findings provide useful insights into the public perception of hearing loss that may prove useful in public education and counseling. </p