Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Int J Audiol. 2021 Jul;60(7):495-506. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2020.1851401. Epub 2020 Nov 27.
To understand the impact of face coverings on hearing and communication.
An online survey consisting of closed-set and open-ended questions distributed within the UK to gain insights into experiences of interactions involving face coverings, and of the impact of face coverings on communication.
Four hundred and sixty members of the general public were recruited via snowball sampling. People with hearing loss were intentionally oversampled to more thoroughly assess the effect of face coverings in this group.
With few exceptions, participants reported that face coverings negatively impacted hearing, understanding, engagement, and feelings of connection with the speaker. Impacts were greatest when communicating in medical situations. People with hearing loss were significantly more impacted than those without hearing loss. Face coverings impacted communication content, interpersonal connectedness, and willingness to engage in conversation; they increased anxiety and stress, and made communication fatiguing, frustrating and embarrassing - both as a speaker wearing a face covering, and when listening to someone else who is wearing one.
Face coverings have far-reaching impacts on communication for everyone, but especially for people with hearing loss. These findings illustrate the need for communication-friendly face-coverings, and emphasise the need to be communication-aware when wearing a face covering.
了解口罩对面部识别和沟通的影响。
一项在线调查，包括封闭式和开放式问题，在英国范围内分发，以深入了解涉及口罩的互动体验，以及口罩对面部识别和沟通的影响。
通过滚雪球抽样方法招募了 460 名普通公众。有意对听力损失者进行过度抽样，以更全面地评估口罩在这一群体中的影响。
除了少数例外，参与者报告称口罩对面部识别和沟通产生了负面影响，包括听力、理解、参与度以及与说话者的联系感。在医疗环境中沟通时，影响最大。听力损失者比没有听力损失者受到的影响更大。口罩影响了沟通内容、人际联系以及参与对话的意愿；它们增加了焦虑和压力，使沟通变得疲惫、令人沮丧和尴尬——无论是佩戴口罩的说话者，还是听别人佩戴口罩时。
口罩对每个人的沟通都有深远的影响，但对听力损失者的影响尤其大。这些发现说明了需要使用对沟通友好的口罩，并强调了佩戴口罩时需要注意沟通。
