Tsimpida Dialechti, Kaitelidou Daphne, Galanis Petros
1Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD), Division of Human Communication, Development and Hearing, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, A4.01 Ellen Wilkinson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL UK.
2Center for Health Services Management and Evaluation, Department of Nursing, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Arch Public Health. 2018 Oct 8;76:55. doi: 10.1186/s13690-018-0304-2. eCollection 2018.
Hearing loss is an important public health issue, since it has a very negative impact on peoples' lives, irrespective of the age at which it develops. However, globally there is a noticeable lack of epidemiological data for health outcomes for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. In Greece, people with hearing disabilities are systematically not included in health policy and planning processes, despite there being a marked tendency for global efforts aimed at improving their quality of life.
The sample consisted of 140 adults with hearing loss (86 d/Deaf and 54 hard of hearing) and 97 normal hearing as the control group. We run data collection from April to June 2015, using the Greek version of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36v2). Socio-demographic and characteristics about non-medical determinants of health (tobacco and alcohol consumption levels, BMI and physical activity).were also collected and were analysed as possible determinants. Data analysis included bivariate and multivariate analyses such as linear regression models.
Multivariate analyses identified that in all the SF-36v2 dimensions, the scores among deaf people were lower than those with normal hearing. Determinants included the hearing loss degree, educational level, body mass index, levels of physical activity, and alcohol consumption levels, while the variable "number of family members per household" was inversely associated with physical health summary scale score.
Improving knowledge of the health-related determinants that affect quality of life for the population with hearing loss is an important step in designing targeted services and interventions. In light of these findings, a special effort must be made to ensure the wellbeing of this population.
听力损失是一个重要的公共卫生问题，因为它对人们的生活有着非常负面的影响，无论其发病年龄如何。然而，全球范围内，对于失聪和听力障碍人群的健康结果，明显缺乏流行病学数据。在希腊，尽管全球有明显的趋势致力于改善听力障碍者的生活质量，但听力残疾者却系统性地未被纳入卫生政策和规划过程。
样本包括140名有听力损失的成年人（86名聋人/失聪者和54名听力障碍者）以及97名听力正常者作为对照组。我们于2015年4月至6月进行数据收集，使用希腊语版的36项简短健康调查（SF - 36v2）。还收集了社会人口统计学信息以及关于健康的非医学决定因素（烟草和酒精消费水平、体重指数和身体活动情况），并将其作为可能的决定因素进行分析。数据分析包括双变量和多变量分析，如线性回归模型。
多变量分析表明，在所有SF - 36v2维度中，聋人的得分低于听力正常者。决定因素包括听力损失程度、教育水平、体重指数、身体活动水平和酒精消费水平，而“每户家庭成员数量”这一变量与身体健康汇总量表得分呈负相关。
提高对影响听力损失人群生活质量的健康相关决定因素的认识，是设计针对性服务和干预措施的重要一步。鉴于这些发现，必须做出特别努力以确保这一人群的福祉。
