Karina C De Sousa1, De Wet Swanepoel1,2,3, David R Moore4,5, Cas Smits6. 1. Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. 2. Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands. 3. Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco. 4. Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Childrens' Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH. 5. Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. 6. Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Section Ear & Hearing, and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, the Netherlands.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The smartphone digits-in-noise hearing test, called hearZA, was made available as a self-test in South Africa in March 2016. This study determined characteristics and test performance of the listeners who took the test. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 24,072 persons who completed a test between March 2016 and August 2017 was conducted. User characteristics, including age, English-speaking competence, and self-reported hearing difficulty, were analyzed. Regression analyses were conducted to determine predictors of the speech reception threshold. RESULTS: Overall referral rate of the hearZA test was 22.4%, and 37% of these reported a known hearing difficulty. Age distributions showed that 33.2% of listeners were ages 30 years and younger, 40.5% were between ages 31 and 50 years, and 26.4% were older than 50 years. Age, self-reported English-speaking competence, and self-reported hearing difficulty were significant predictors of the speech reception threshold. CONCLUSIONS: High test uptake, particularly among younger users, and high overall referral rate indicates that the hearZA app addresses a public health need. The test also reaches target audiences, including those with self-reported hearing difficulty and those with normal hearing who should monitor their hearing ability.
PURPOSE: The smartphone digits-in-noise hearing test, called hearZA, was made available as a self-test in South Africa in March 2016. This study determined characteristics and test performance of the listeners who took the test. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 24,072 persons who completed a test between March 2016 and August 2017 was conducted. User characteristics, including age, English-speaking competence, and self-reported hearing difficulty, were analyzed. Regression analyses were conducted to determine predictors of the speech reception threshold. RESULTS: Overall referral rate of the hearZA test was 22.4%, and 37% of these reported a known hearing difficulty. Age distributions showed that 33.2% of listeners were ages 30 years and younger, 40.5% were between ages 31 and 50 years, and 26.4% were older than 50 years. Age, self-reported English-speaking competence, and self-reported hearing difficulty were significant predictors of the speech reception threshold. CONCLUSIONS: High test uptake, particularly among younger users, and high overall referral rate indicates that the hearZA app addresses a public health need. The test also reaches target audiences, including those with self-reported hearing difficulty and those with normal hearing who should monitor their hearing ability.
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