Proposed norms for the Glasgow hearing-aid benefit profile (Ghabp) questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
To form a normative set of responses to the GHABP questionnaire from a large regional dataset.


METHODS
Participants were asked to rate their hearing disability, handicap, hearing-aid (HA) use, HA benefit, HA satisfaction, and residual (aided) disability on a five-point scale for four situations: quiet conversation, television (TV) listening, noisy conversation, and group conversation. A subset of participants also estimated the time spent in these situations.


METHODS
A group of 1574 adults with normal to profound hearing thresholds participated.


RESULTS
There was a significant relationship between increasing perceived disability and increasing hearing loss as given by the better-ear audiometric average (BEA). Responses for HA measures did not vary greatly with hearing loss: HA use was reported as high, whereas residual disability, HA benefit, and satisfaction were all reported on average as moderate.


CONCLUSIONS
The results can be used as a normative dataset with which to evaluate individual responses in the clinic, where the GHABP provides a useful short-form questionnaire to engage the patient. The lack of systematic changes in hearing-aid related responses shows room for improvement in the benefit afforded by amplification.
MRC/CSO Institute of Hearing Research - Scottish Section, Glasgow Royal Infirmary , Glasgow , UK.
William M
WM
Whitmer
Patrick
P
Howell
Michael A
MA
Akeroyd
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000592:standards; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000592:standards*; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult