Shaikh Mohsin Ahmed M, Hall James W, McManus Cindy, Lew Henry L
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (JWH, CM, HLL).
Hawaii J Med Public Health. 2017 May;76(5):123-127.
Hearing and balance disorders affect people of all ages. Among children, hearing loss affects speech and language development, academic performance, and psychosocial development. Hearing loss in adults negatively impacts work productivity, cognitive function, and psychosocial status. Prevalence of hearing loss in children in Hawai'i is higher than the national average. Research indicates that hearing loss is a prevalent condition among veterans and advanced age adults. This is of particular concern in Hawai'i as the state is home to many military training facilities and has a large elderly population. In contrast to the higher than average prevalence of hearing loss in Hawai'i, there is a relatively small number of practicing audiologists in the state. Audiologists are independent doctoral level professionals responsible for the assessment and non-medical management of hearing impairment, vestibular disorders, auditory processing disorder, auditory neuropathy, tinnitus, and related disorders. Currently, there is no formal audiology training program in Hawai'i to meet the needs for current or future hearing health professionals. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa is developing a proposal for a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program to provide a comprehensive doctoral-level audiology curriculum and clinical training in order to graduate audiologists with knowledge and skills needed to serve people with hearing and balance disorders in Hawai'i. This review article describes the current status of hearing and balance disorders and services in Hawai'i and stresses the importance of early identification and intervention in remediating their effects in all ages, with a focus on the need for expanding hearing health services in Hawai'i.
听力和平衡障碍影响着各个年龄段的人群。在儿童中，听力损失会影响言语和语言发展、学业成绩以及心理社会发展。成年人的听力损失会对工作效率、认知功能和心理社会状态产生负面影响。夏威夷儿童的听力损失患病率高于全国平均水平。研究表明，听力损失在退伍军人和老年人中是一种普遍存在的状况。在夏威夷，这一情况尤其令人担忧，因为该州有许多军事训练设施，且老年人口众多。与夏威夷高于平均水平的听力损失患病率形成对比的是，该州执业听力学家的数量相对较少。听力学家是独立的博士水平专业人员，负责听力障碍、前庭疾病、听觉处理障碍、听神经病、耳鸣及相关疾病的评估和非医疗管理。目前，夏威夷没有正式的听力学培训项目来满足当前或未来听力健康专业人员的需求。夏威夷大学马诺阿分校的通信科学与障碍学系正在制定一项听力学博士（Au.D.）项目提案，以提供全面的博士水平听力学课程和临床培训，从而培养出具备为夏威夷听力和平衡障碍患者提供服务所需知识和技能的听力学家。这篇综述文章描述了夏威夷听力和平衡障碍及服务的现状，并强调了在各个年龄段早期识别和干预以减轻其影响的重要性，重点关注夏威夷扩大听力健康服务的必要性。
