Psychometrical Evaluation of the Hearing Disability and Handicap Scale

Table 1.

SlightModerateSevereVery severeDemographic Numbern (% of total)31(9.1)175(51.2)104(30.4)32(9.4) Female gendern (% of total)12(3.5)78(22.8)47(13.7)18(5.3) AgeMean (SD)66.0(14.5)69.3(13.4)68.4(14.2)71.4(14.3) Education^a,b   ≤ 10 yearsn (% of total)11(3.2)86(25.2)52(15.2)25(7.3)  11–13 yearsn (% of total)6(1.8)47(13.7)39(11.4)5(1.5)   > 13 yearsn (% of total)14(4.1)41(12.0)12(3.5)2(0.6)Audiological HL in best ear^cMean (SD)36.6(20.4)39.2(14.2)48.2(16.1)57.0(16.2) HL in worst ear^dMean (SD)49.1(28.2)47.6(15.6)59.2(20.1)68.0(18.7) Perceived duration of HL in yearsMean (SD)11.6(14.1)11.4(11.4)20.1(16.2)21.8(16.4) HA experience^en (% of total)5(1.5)68(19.9)68(19.9)28(8.2) Sensorineural HLn (% of total)31(9.1)162(47.4)93(27.2)27(7.9)Life situation Activity limitation^fMean (SD)22.4(6.1)25.3(5.2)30.5(5.0)33.9(4.0) Participation restriction^gMean (SD)14.2(3.3)17.4(4.2)21.6(5.2)23.1(4.9)^aMissing data about two subjects.^bPearsons Chi-square = 29.480 (df= 6); p<0.001.^cANOVA F = 17.467 (df 3); p<0.001.^dANOVA F = 15. 369 (df 3); p<0.001.^ePearsons Chi-square = 50.724 (df= 3); p<0.001.^fANOVA F = 49.267 (df 3); p<0.001.^gANOVA F = 39.940 (df 3); p<0.001.

Table 2.

ItemResponse categories^aTotalMeanSD1234Item 1Follow conversation5116129923422.90.8Item 2Door opening9289128333422.31.0Item 3Worry people find out2417217123421.40.7Item 4Ask people to repeat6615188373422.30.9Item 5Difficulty hearing TV11851211253423.10.9Item 6Hear water boiling897394863422.51.1Item 7Upset if wrong answer11016456123421.90.8Item 8Restriction in social life8212594413422.31.0Item 9Difficulty hearing radio10881241203423.00.9Item 10Hear footsteps6781137573422.51.0Item 11Upset communication7115774403422.20.9Item 12Tense and tired12512968203422.00.9Item 13Group conversation2631171603423.30.8Item 14Ringing of doorbell10184127303422.31.0Item 15People avoiding me26563953421.30.6Item 16Lack of self-confidence18011232183421.70.9Item 17Hear but not understand788186613422.90.7Item 18Hearing telephone ringing7214265633422.71.0Item 19Feeling of being cut off10712785233422.10.9Item 20Close relationships14412958113421.80.846.39.9^aThe response categories were “never” (1), “sometimes” (2), “often” (3) and “always” (4).

Table 3.

Factor^a123Corrected item-total correlationCronbach's AlphaSpeech perception0.84Item 1Follow conversation0.580.56Item 5Difficulty hearing TV0.780.70Item 9Difficulty hearing radio0.790.73Item 13Group conversation0.740.65Item 17Hear but not understand0.700.58Non-speech sound0.81Item 2Door opening0.770.63Item 6Hear water boiling0.670.59Item 10Hear footsteps0.780.64Item 14Ringing of doorbell0.740.61Item 18Hearing telephone ringing0.630.54Participation restriction0.82Item 3Worry people find out0.630.42Item 4Ask people to repeat0.660.53Item 7Upset if wrong answer0.570.40Item 8Restriction in social life0.520.410.54Item 11Upset communication0.600.59Item 12Tense and tired0.590.55Item 15People avoiding me0.450.39Item 16Lack of self-confidence0.670.60Item 19Feeling of being cut off0.440.450.56Item 20Close relationships0.590.44Eigenvalue of factors6.62.21.4Cumulative explained variance32.943.750.5^aLoadings ≥0.40 were reported

Table 4.

Degree of HLPerceivedAgeBest earWorst earDuration of HLSeverity of HLFactor: Speech perception0.080.41^b0.34^b0.28^b0.53^bItem 1Follow conversation0.060.39^b0.36^b0.30^b0.52^bItem 5Difficulty hearing TV0.050.35^b0.26^b0.24^b0.39^bItem 9Difficulty hearing radio0.030.34^b0.25^b0.19^b0.40^bItem 13Group conversation0.090.27^b0.25^b0.22^b0.40^bItem 17Hear but not understand0.090.23^b0.19^b0.14^b0.34^bFactor: Non-speech sound0.060.52^b0.45^b0.37^b0.44^bItem 2Door opening0.090.39^b0.30^b0.24^b0.37^bItem 6Hear water boiling0.080.42^b0.36^b0.21^b0.34^bItem 10Hear footsteps0.010.36^b0.34^b0.31^b0.32^bItem 14Ringing of doorbell−0.030.35^b0.34^b0.37^b0.34^bItem 18Hearing telephone ringing0.060.44^b0.35^b0.27^b0.29^bFactor: Participation restriction−0.060.29^b0.24^b0.25^b0.50^bItem 3Worry people find out0.010.14^b0.100.12^a0.19^bItem 4Ask people to repeat−0.010.070.010.040.29^bItem 7Upset if wrong answer−0.15^b0.17^b0.11^a0.080.21^bItem 8Restriction in social life0.040.25^b0.23^b0.29^b0.44^bItem 11Upset communication−0.030.20^b0.14^a0.15^b0.36^bItem 12Tense and tired−0.070.11^a0.15^b0.20^b0.29^bItem 15People avoiding me−0.010.22^b0.18^b0.12^a0.26^bItem 16Lack of self-confidence−0.060.24^b0.26^b0.26^b0.34^bItem 19Feeling of being cut off−0.020.39^b0.27^b0.22^b0.46^bItem 20Close relationships−0.050.080.010.070.22^bap<0.05^bp<0.01