[Dependency of APHAB score in the EC subscale on age, gender and subjective hearing loss : Hearing aid fitting in two subjective hearing loss groups].

Objective: The Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) determines subjective impairment by hearing loss in four situations before and after hearing aid fitting. The first part (APHAB) of the questionnaire can be used independently of hearing aid fitting. Previous research has demonstrated that the answers in the EC subscale for hearing under easy conditions are concentrated in two groups: one with subjectively better, one with subjectively worse hearing. This study aimed to investigate in a large collective whether there are differences between these two groups in terms of age, gender, and individual hearing loss.

Patients And Methods: The data of 1755 patients were analyzed, whose APHAB answers and pure-tone thresholds had been collected during hearing aid fitting. Group 1 had an average EC score ≤37.5%; in group 2 it was ≥67.5%. The individual hearing losses was determined. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U, χ, Spearman, and Pearson tests.

Results: The 616 members of group 1 were significantly younger (68.7 vs. 73.0 years) and comprised more females (53.9 vs. 46.1%) than the 1139 members of group 2. Hearing was frequency specific in group 1, and hearing loss as classified using standard audiograms and according to the three-frequency table was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2, CONCLUSION: The distribution with two maximums in the EC subscale can be explained by individual differences in terms of age and hearing loss, in part also by gender. The lower absolute number of patients in group 1 could be explained by the still relatively late fitting of hearing aids in general.