Hearing threshold levels for an otologically screened population in Spain
A Rodríguez Valiente1, A Roldán Fidalgo, J R García Berrocal
1Ear Research Group, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
International Journal of Audiology
|April 3, 2015
Summary
This study found that hearing thresholds in Spain are higher than current ISO standards, particularly with age. These findings suggest the ISO 7029 (2000) standard may be too strict.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Otolaryngology
- Public Health
Background:
- Current international standards for hearing thresholds, such as ISO 7029 (2000), are widely used for audiological assessments.
- Establishing age-specific hearing threshold data for diverse populations is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.
- Previous studies may not fully represent the hearing characteristics of the Spanish population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish age-dependent hearing threshold data for an otologically normal Spanish population.
- To compare these new data with the existing ISO 7029 (2000) standard.
- To inform potential revisions of international audiological standards.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 1175 otologically normal individuals aged 5 to 90 years in Spain.
- Participants were screened via interview, questionnaire, and physical examination based on ISO 389-1 (1998) and ISO 8253-1 (2010) criteria.
- Pure-tone audiometry was conducted to determine hearing thresholds across various frequencies.
Main Results:
- Hearing thresholds showed a slight decrease from 125 Hz to 2000 Hz.
- Thresholds increased significantly from 2000 Hz upwards, with greater increases at higher frequencies and older ages.
- The hearing thresholds measured in this study were generally higher (indicating poorer hearing) than those specified in the ISO 7029 (2000) standard.
- No statistically significant differences in hearing thresholds were found between sexes.
Conclusions:
- The hearing threshold data from this Spanish population suggest that the ISO 7029 (2000) standard might be overly restrictive.
- These findings could be valuable for updating and refining the ISO 7029 standard for better population representation.
- Age-specific audiological data is essential for accurate hearing assessments and standard development.
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