Test-Retest repeatability of automated threshold audiometry in Nicaraguan schoolchildren
Sarah Y Bessen1, Isabelle L Magro2, Karen Mojica Alvarez3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Objective:
Automated threshold audiometry (ATA) could increase access to paediatric hearing assessment in low- and middle-income countries, but few studies have evaluated test-retest repeatability of ATA in children. This study aims to analyse test-retest repeatability of ATA and to identify factors that affect the reliability of this method.
Design:
ATA was performed twice in a cohort of Nicaraguan schoolchildren. During testing, the proportion of responses occurring in the absence of a stimulus was measured by calculating a stimulus response false positive rate (SRFP). Absolute test-retest repeatability was determined between the two trials, as well as the impact of age, gender, ambient noise, head circumference, and SRFP on these results.
Study Sample:
807 children were randomly selected from 35 schools in northern Nicaragua.
Results:
Across all frequencies, the absolute value of the difference between measurements was 5.5 ± 7.8 dB. 89.6% of test-retest differences were within 10 dB. Intra-class correlation coefficients between the two measurements showed that lower SRFP was associated with improved repeatability. No effect of age, gender, or ambient noise was found.
Conclusions:
ATA produced moderate test-retest repeatability in Nicaraguan schoolchildren. Participant testing behaviours, such as delayed or otherwise inappropriate response patterns, significantly impacts the repeatability of these measurements.
