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Self-Reported Voice-Related Quality of Life in Cochlear Implant Users

Authors :
Pasquale Bottalico
Abel Plachno
Charles Nudelman
Source :
Revista de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias de la Salud, Vol 5, Iss 2 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Fundación Universitaria María Cano, 2023.

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this study was to identify if cochlear implant (CI) users are perceiving a decrease in life quality due to voice problems. This study evaluated 43 CI user’s perception of their voice and how it affects their quality of life through a survey. Approach. Forty-three CI users responded to a survey regarding their demographics, details about their CI, the Hearing Health Quick Test (HHQT), the Voice Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10). The survey responses were analyzed using univariate linear regression analysis. Results. Few of the CI users scored below the cut off for normal voice related quality of life. CI users averaged 93.4 out of 100 on the V-RQOL and only four scored abnormally for the VHI-10. Lower scores on the V-RQOL were correlated with the participants having an associate degree and with participants visiting friends, family, and neighbors less often due to hearing loss. The VHI-10 scores were correlated with gender, education levels, difficulty in social situations due to hearing loss, noise exposure, and tinnitus. Limitations of the study. The small n was the primary limitation of this study. Originality. This study was one of the first to examine the voice-related quality of life in CI users. Conclusions. Overall, respondents did not perceive much voice-related difficulty. However, they were more likely to perceive voice-related difficulty if they experienced difficulty hearing in noise and avoided social situations due to hearing loss.

Details

Language :
Spanish; Castilian
ISSN :
26652056
Volume :
5
Issue :
2
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Revista de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias de la Salud
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.822b5b04ea46bfa4ce3ba5ecc7514c
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.46634/riics.232