Brigham Nicole, Thompson Emily C, Picou Erin M, Davis Hilary, Tharpe Anne Marie
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
Am J Audiol. 2024 Jun 4;33(2):321-329. doi: 10.1044/2023_AJA-23-00043. Epub 2024 Mar 11.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential contribution of limited English proficiency on daily hearing aid wear time for children with hearing loss.
A retrospective chart review was completed to evaluate hearing aid wear time based on data logging information available at the time of a follow-up visit following an initial hearing aid fitting. Children were included in the study if they had permanent bilateral hearing loss and were less than 60 months of age at the time of their first follow-up visit. Wear time was compared between children who attended an interpreter-mediated appointment and those who did not have an interpreter present. The presence of an interpreter at the appointment was the study indicator that the family had limited English proficiency.
Children from families with limited English proficiency exhibited significantly shorter daily wear time ( = 1.3 hr) than their peers whose families were English-proficient speakers, thus, having a shared language with their audiologists ( = 5.2 hr).
Results of this study suggest that family-clinician language discordance might put children at greater risk of shorter hearing aid wear time than children whose caregivers share a common language with their child's audiologist. There can be many linguistic, cultural, and educational factors that contribute to hearing aid wear time in children whose families have limited English proficiency as well as different approaches to improving that wear time. Efforts should ensure that hearing and hearing aid-related information is accessible to all families, especially those with clinician-family language discordance. Such efforts can include, among others, training that improves clinicians' cultural and linguistic responsiveness to the diverse families they serve.
本研究旨在评估英语水平有限对听力损失儿童每日佩戴助听器时长的潜在影响。
通过回顾性病历审查，根据初次佩戴助听器后随访时可获取的数据记录信息，评估助听器佩戴时长。纳入研究的儿童需患有永久性双侧听力损失，且首次随访时年龄小于60个月。比较有口译员协助就诊的儿童与无口译员在场的儿童的佩戴时长。就诊时有口译员在场作为家庭英语水平有限的研究指标。
英语水平有限家庭的儿童每日佩戴时长（=1.3小时）显著短于其家庭英语流利、能与听力学家使用共同语言的同龄人（=5.2小时）。
本研究结果表明，与照料者能与孩子的听力学家使用共同语言的儿童相比，家庭与临床医生语言不通可能使儿童面临佩戴助听器时长较短的更大风险。对于英语水平有限家庭的儿童，有许多语言、文化和教育因素会影响助听器佩戴时长，也有不同的方法来延长佩戴时长。应努力确保所有家庭，尤其是那些临床医生与家庭语言不通的家庭，都能获取与听力及助听器相关的信息。这些努力可包括，除其他外，开展培训以提高临床医生对其所服务的不同家庭的文化和语言反应能力。
