Refinement and psychometric evaluation of the Attitudes Toward Loss of Hearing Questionnaire. 1996

G H Saunders, and K M Cienkowski
Lexington Center, Queens, New York, USA.

OBJECTIVE To refine and statistically validate the Attitudes Toward Loss of Hearing Questionnaire (ALHQ) so that it will be appropriate for clinical application and to understand some of the personality attributes underlying attitudes toward hearing loss. METHODS An American-English version of an ALHQ, originally designed by Brooks (1989), was completed by 226 men; a subset of 80 also completed personality questionnaires. All subjects underwent pure-tone testing and speech audiometry. Factor analysis was used to extract scales from the ALHQ. Reliability analyses using Cronbach's alpha were carried out on each scale. Test-retest reliability was evaluated from questionnaires completed 6 to 18 mo after initial administration. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the audiometric and personality determinants of attitudes. RESULTS Five reliable scales were extracted from a 24-question version of the ALHQ: 1) Social and Emotional Impact of Hearing Loss, 2) Acceptance/ Adjustment to Hearing Loss, 3) Perceived Support from Significant Others, 4) Hearing Aid Stigma, and 5) Awareness of Hearing Loss. Audiometric data explained little of the variance in attitude scores; age and other demographic factors did not correlate with attitudes either. The personality traits of extroversion, self-esteem, and anxiety/neuroticism played a larger role in determining attitude. CONCLUSIONS The ALHQ is psychometrically acceptable and is a potentially useful clinical tool. It is quick and easy to complete and to score and could be used as a basis for counseling and for following attitude change in patients over time.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010549 Personal Satisfaction The individual's experience of a sense of fulfillment of a need or want and the quality or state of being satisfied. Life Satisfaction,Satisfaction,Life Satisfactions,Satisfaction, Life,Satisfaction, Personal,Satisfactions, Life
D011594 Psychometrics Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures. Psychometric
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D012048 Correction of Hearing Impairment Procedures for correcting HEARING DISORDERS. Correction of Auditory Perception,Habilitation of Hearing Impairment,Hearing Impaired Rehabilitation,Rehabilitation of Hearing Impaired,Audiologic Habilitation,Audiologic Rehabilitation,Aural Habilitation,Aural Rehabilitation,Correction of Hearing Loss,Habilitation of Hearing Impaired,Rehabilitation of Hearing Impairment,Audiologic Habilitations,Audiologic Rehabilitations,Auditory Perception Correction,Auditory Perception Corrections,Aural Habilitations,Aural Rehabilitations,Habilitation, Audiologic,Habilitation, Aural,Habilitations, Audiologic,Habilitations, Aural,Hearing Impaired Habilitation,Hearing Impaired Habilitations,Hearing Impairment Correction,Hearing Impairment Corrections,Hearing Impairment Habilitation,Hearing Impairment Habilitations,Hearing Impairment Rehabilitation,Hearing Impairment Rehabilitations,Hearing Loss Correction,Hearing Loss Corrections,Impaired Habilitation, Hearing,Impaired Habilitations, Hearing,Impairment Correction, Hearing,Impairment Corrections, Hearing,Impairment Habilitation, Hearing,Impairment Habilitations, Hearing,Impairment Rehabilitation, Hearing,Impairment Rehabilitations, Hearing,Loss Correction, Hearing,Loss Corrections, Hearing,Perception Correction, Auditory,Perception Corrections, Auditory,Rehabilitation, Audiologic,Rehabilitation, Aural,Rehabilitation, Hearing Impaired,Rehabilitations, Audiologic,Rehabilitations, Aural
D006310 Hearing Aids Wearable sound-amplifying devices that are intended to compensate for impaired hearing. These generic devices include air-conduction hearing aids and bone-conduction hearing aids. (UMDNS, 1999) Ear Molds, Hearing Aid,Aid, Hearing,Aids, Hearing,Hearing Aid
D006311 Hearing Disorders Conditions that impair the transmission of auditory impulses and information from the level of the ear to the temporal cortices, including the sensorineural pathways. Distorted Hearing,Dysacusis,Paracousis,Paracusis,Hearing Disorder,Hearing, Distorted
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000223 Adaptation, Psychological A state of harmony between internal needs and external demands and the processes used in achieving this condition. (From APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed). Behavior, Adaptive,Healthy Adaptation,Positive Adaptation,Psychological Recovery,Adaptation, Psychologic,Adjustment,Psychological Adaptation,Adaptation, Healthy,Adaptation, Positive,Adaptive Behavior,Adaptive Behaviors,Healthy Adaptations,Positive Adaptations,Psychologic Adaptation,Psychological Recoveries,Recovery, Psychological
D000339 Affect The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which instincts manifest themselves. Mood,Affects,Moods

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