Results of hearing screenings in 14- to 15-year old adolescents [Ergebnisse eines H?rscreenings bei 14- bis 15-j?hrigen Jugendlichen]

摘要

Background: A hearing screening among 14- to 15-year-old pupils was performed to estimate the number of hearing-impaired individuals in the adolescent population. Materials and methods: A total of 1,298 pupils from 30 schools in Tyrol (Austria) participated in the screening. Hearing tests were performed in a silent room at the school. Sinus tones at frequencies 0. 5/1/2/4/6 kHz and at levels of 25/20/20/20/20 dB HL, respectively, were delivered via headphones to either ear. Failure of screening was defined as not hearing one or more frequencies in one or both ears. Results: The screening was failed by 16. 3% of the pupils. There was a small but not significant difference between males and females (17. 0 vs. 15. 2%). Most of the pupils failed at only one frequency (9. 6%). Failing at two or more frequencies in the same ear occurred in 3. 9% of the pupils, thereof in 1. 1% bilaterally. Conclusion: As the specificity of our screening is limited, false-positive results may result. Thus, the rate of hearing deficits in our sample is probably a bit lower than indicated by the figures above. Most of the adolescents who failed the screen failed at only one frequency. These subjects have a small elevation of their hearing threshold, not a hearing loss in the sense of a raised averaged threshold. A hearing loss in the latter sense is supposed to be present in only very few percent of adolescents, a bilateral hearing loss in perhaps less than 1%.