Self-evalutions of Hearing Disorders and Their Relation to Quality of Life (QOL) Components among the Middle Aged and Elderly in the Community / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study was carried out to verify the usefulness of the Japanese version of the Hearing and Disability and Handicap Scale (HDHS) in the self-evalution of hearing disorders and to clarify the relationships between the hearing disability/handicap scores and such QOL components as life satisfaction, self-rated health conditions and social support networks, etc.<BR>Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in Soyo village in Kumamoto Prefecture. The subhects were 136 residents aged 40 years or older who had received health check-ups in accordance with the Health and Medical Service Law for the Aged and who had complained of mild to profound hearing loss in one or both ears. The questionnarie was composed of three parts; back-ground question, the HDHS, and question regarding QOL components. Evalution of language adequacy regarding the Japanese translation of HDHS was carried out with the assistance of four bilinguals.<BR>Results: Data from 123 respondents who completed the questionnaire were analyzed. The results were as follows<BR>1) Chronbach's alpha coefficients for the three subscales of HDHS ranged from 0.873 to 0.899-all within satisfactory levels.<BR>2) Maximum likelihood factor analysis with varimax roataion suggested that 20 items of HDHS could be categorized according to three factors Fl-handicaps; F2-detection of such verbal sound as the TV or radio or daily conversation; F3-detection of such nonverbal sound as door chimes or the sound of boiling water.<BR>3) The response rates of “Always or Sometimes” for five questions regarding verbal sounds ranged from 65.8% to 82.1% compared with 47.9% to 58.6% for those questions regarding nonverbal sounds. Those for 10 questions regarding handicaps showed a great disparity; 25.2% for Q15 and 60.1% for Q4.<BR>4) Analysis of covariance structures suggested that increases in hearing disability and handicap scores were indirectly related, through the lowering of self-rated health levels, to a perceived deterioration of QOL.<BR>Conclusion: To ensure high QOL levels among middle aged and elderly residents, the creation of supportive environments that contribute to the alleviation of the affects of communication disorders induced by age-related hearing impairments is extremely important.