Self-Reported Hearing Difficulties Among Adults With Normal Audiograms: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study
Kelly L Tremblay1, Alex Pinto, Mary E Fischer
11Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA; and 3Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Ear and Hearing
|July 13, 2015
Summary
A significant portion of individuals with normal hearing thresholds report hearing difficulty (HD). Risk factors include lower income, noise exposure, depression, vision issues, and neuropathy, suggesting audiology should expand its scope.
Area of Science:
- Audiology and Hearing Science
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Clinicians frequently encounter patients reporting hearing difficulty (HD) despite normal audiometric thresholds.
- This discrepancy sparks debate regarding potential biomedical and psychosocial causes for self-reported HD.
- Understanding factors beyond audiology scope is crucial for addressing these cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the population-based prevalence of self-reported HD in individuals with normal audiometric thresholds.
- To identify factors associated with self-reported HD in this population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional investigation of participants in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study.
- Hearing difficulty (HD) defined by self-report (four-item scale) with normal pure-tone audiometric thresholds (<20 dB HL).
- Evaluated distortion product otoacoustic emissions, word recognition, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, environmental exposures, medical history, quality of life, depression symptoms (CES-D), and vision difficulties (VFQ-25).
Main Results:
- 12.0% of individuals with normal audiometric thresholds self-reported HD (2.9% of the total cohort).
- No significant differences in audiological test performance (DPOAEs, word recognition) between groups.
- Risk factors identified: lower income, noise exposure (hobbies, firearms), depression symptoms, vision difficulties, and neuropathy. Higher odds of reporting HD if previously seen by a doctor for hearing loss.
Conclusions:
- Self-reported HD is prevalent in individuals with normal audiometric thresholds, affecting 12.0% of this subgroup.
- Identified both auditory and non-auditory risk factors, including socioeconomic, environmental, and psychological elements.
- Future management and prevention strategies for HD should integrate factors beyond traditional audiology.
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