Performance Differences Between Spanish AzBio and Latin American HINT: Implications for Test Selection.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Spanish-speaking patients encounter barriers to equitable audiological care due to a lack of standardized language tools.
• Speech perception tests like the Spanish AzBio Sentence (SAzB) and Latin American Hearing in Noise Test (LAH) are used for adults with hearing loss.
• Performance variations between these tests may affect hearing intervention referrals, including cochlear implantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare speech perception test performance between the SAzB and LAH under various noise and spatial conditions.
• To inform the selection of appropriate speech perception tests for Spanish-speaking adults.
• To mitigate healthcare disparities arising from potential test misclassification.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one bilingual adults with normal hearing completed speech perception tests using SAzB and LAH.
• Testing occurred in quiet and at three signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) under two spatial configurations (0° and 90°/270° azimuth).
• Paired t-tests and ANOVAs were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants achieved significantly higher scores on the LAH compared to the SAzB across all conditions.
• Ceiling effects were noted for the LAH, indicating it may be less sensitive to subtle differences.
• SAzB scores showed variability based on language dominance, suggesting greater sensitivity to individual factors.

Conclusions:

• The SAzB offers a more challenging and informative assessment of speech perception in noise compared to the LAH.
• Over-reliance on the LAH may lead to under-referral for hearing interventions, potentially delaying necessary care.
• Selecting the most appropriate speech perception test is crucial for accurate diagnosis and equitable audiological care for Spanish-speaking patients.