[Results of hearing screenings in 14- to 15-year old adolescents].
BACKGROUND
A hearing screening among 14- to 15-year-old pupils was performed to estimate the number of hearing-impaired individuals in the adolescent population.


METHODS
A total of 1,298 pupils from 30 schools in Tyrol (Austria) participated in the screening. Hearing tests were performed in a silent room at the school. Sinus tones at frequencies 0.5/1/2/4/6 kHz and at levels of 25/20/20/20/20 dB HL, respectively, were delivered via headphones to either ear. Failure of screening was defined as not hearing one or more frequencies in one or both ears.


RESULTS
The screening was failed by 16.3% of the pupils. There was a small but not significant difference between males and females (17.0 vs. 15.2%). Most of the pupils failed at only one frequency (9.6%). Failing at two or more frequencies in the same ear occurred in 3.9% of the pupils, thereof in 1.1% bilaterally.


CONCLUSIONS
As the specificity of our screening is limited, false-positive results may result. Thus, the rate of hearing deficits in our sample is probably a bit lower than indicated by the figures above. Most of the adolescents who failed the screen failed at only one frequency. These subjects have a small elevation of their hearing threshold, not a hearing loss in the sense of a raised averaged threshold. A hearing loss in the latter sense is supposed to be present in only very few percent of adolescents, a bilateral hearing loss in perhaps less than 1%.
Universitätsklinik für Hör-, Stimm- und Sprachstörungen, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Österreich. viktor.weichbold@i-med.ac.at
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V
Weichbold
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Holzer
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Newesely
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Zorowka
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Stephan
D000293:Adolescent; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001317:Austria; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male