Ho Eu Chin, Zhang HanYu, Ong Warren Ming Wu, Li KeXin, Bei Yen Tze Eileen, Medapati Satya Vijay Reddy, Seneviratna Aruni
a Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery , Tan Tock Seng Hospital , Singapore.
b Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine , National University of Singapore.
Int J Audiol. 2018 Apr;57(4):291-301. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2017.1420921. Epub 2018 Jan 5.
To examine the epidemiological and audiological profile, pattern of hearing aid (HA) fitting and usage among HA users in Singapore.
Retrospective cross-sectional study.
Cohort of 1068 subjects issued with HAs at a tertiary hospital between 2001 and 2013.
Mean age was 70 years with 50.8% male. Mean hearing loss (HL) was 63.1 dB and 69.5% had at least moderate-severe HL. Sensorineural HL was present in 66.4% and 69.8% had symmetrical HL. "Behind-the-Ear" HAs were cheaper than "In-Ear" HAs. Standard "Behind-The-Ear" HAs were also cheaper than "Receiver-in-Canal" HAs. Among In-Ear HAs, "In-the-Canal" and "Completely-in-Canal" were more popular than "In-the-Ear" HAs despite costing more. HA was used ≥4 days/week by 85.6% but >7 h per day by only 35.7%. Only 18% received bilateral first HA fitting. In multivariate analysis, younger age and symmetrical HL were predictors of bilateral HA uptake while better Pure-Tone-Audiometry of aided ear and >7 h of daily HA usage were predictors of successive HA fitting.
HA users in Singapore were elderly and presented with advanced HL. Bilateral HA adoption and average daily use were low compared to other developed countries. Future research on understanding the suboptimal HA usage should explore patients' motivation, hearing disability, and HA effectiveness.
研究新加坡助听器使用者的流行病学和听力学特征、助听器验配及使用模式。
回顾性横断面研究。
2001年至2013年间在一家三级医院接受助听器验配的1068名受试者队列。
平均年龄为70岁，男性占50.8%。平均听力损失为63.1dB，69.5%的患者至少有中度至重度听力损失。感音神经性听力损失占66.4%，69.8%的患者为对称性听力损失。“耳背式”助听器比“入耳式”助听器便宜。标准“耳背式”助听器也比“耳道式受话器”助听器便宜。在入耳式助听器中，“耳道式”和“完全耳道式”比“入耳式”更受欢迎，尽管价格更高。85.6%的使用者每周使用助听器≥4天，但每天使用>7小时的仅占35.7%。只有18%的患者首次接受双侧助听器验配。多因素分析显示，年龄较小和对称性听力损失是双侧佩戴助听器的预测因素，而助听耳纯音听力图较好和每天使用助听器>7小时是后续佩戴助听器的预测因素。
新加坡的助听器使用者年龄较大，听力损失程度较高。与其他发达国家相比，双侧佩戴助听器的比例和平均每日使用时间较低。未来关于理解助听器使用不理想情况的研究应探讨患者的动机、听力残疾情况和助听器效果。
