Transcript Working Paper No.3 Add.5 11 November 2005 STATISTICAL COMMISSION and UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (EUROSTAT) CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) Joint UNECE/WHO/Eurostat.

Working Paper No.3 Add.5
11 November 2005
STATISTICAL COMMISSION and
UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR
EUROPE
STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
(EUROSTAT)
CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN
STATISTICIANS
WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION (WHO)
Joint UNECE/WHO/Eurostat Meeting
on the Measurement of Health Status
(Budapest, Hungary, 14-16 November 2005)
Session 3 – Invited paper
Hearing
Jennifer Madans
National Center for Health Statistics, U.S.A
Hearing
 Concept:
Ability to distinguish sounds
Related but not equivalent to understanding and
communicating
Hearing ability/loss can vary by –
 The loudness of the sound
 The pitch of the sound
 The level and nature of background noise
 Availability of visual cues
 Specification of activity within the domain:
Attempt to standardize stimuli by specifying the above
dimensions either directly or indirectly
Proposed Items for Measuring Hearing
 One option is to use the questions from the
European Health Status Module:
Can you distinctly hear what is said in a conversation
with several people without a hearing aid or other aids
for hearing? Yes/No
 If no: Can you distinctly hear what is said in a
conversation with several people with a hearing aid?
Yes/No/Has no hearing aids
 If yes: skip next question
Can you distinctly hear what is said in a conversation
with one person without a hearing aid? Yes/No
 If no: Can you distinctly hear what is said in a
conversation with one person with a hearing aid?
Yes/No/Has no hearing aids
Hearing: Characteristics of
Proposal Questions
 Filter Question:
 Not used
 Assistive Devices:
Functioning ability obtained with and without hearing
aids if used
 Recall period/chronicity
Not specified
 Response categories:
Yes/No
 Severity:
Measured through ‘task’ – ability to hear in a
conversation with several people vs. one person
Alternative Question Set
 Questions about hearing aid use
 (Without a hearing aid) Can….usually hear what a person says
without seeing his face if he whispers to….from across a quiet
room?
 (Without a hearing aid) Can….usually hear what a person says
without seeing his face if he talks in a normal voice to….from
across a quiet room?
 (Without a hearing aid) Can….usually hear what a person says
without seeing his face if he shouts to….from across a quiet
room?
 (Without a hearing aid) Can….usually hear what a person says if
he speaks loudly into……’s better ear?
 (Without a hearing aid) Can …..usually tell the sound of speech
from other sounds and noises?
 (Without a hearing aid) Can….usually tell one kind of noise from
another?
 (Without a hearing aid) Can….hear loud noise?