title: Self-reported hearing loss and manual audiometry: A rural versus urban comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether self-reported hearing difficulty is an accurate measure of hearing loss compared with standard hearing screening with pure tone audiometry in rural and urban communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Convenience sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban and rural areas of Western Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2090 participants (923 men; 1165 women; 2 unknown) aged 20-100 years presenting for community-based hearing screening in urban (982) and rural (1090) areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported hearing difficulty assessed with the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly - Screening questionnaire. Hearing loss defined as average hearing thresholds >25 dB in the better ear using screening audiometry conducted at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly - Screening was sensitive (≥60 years = 76.69%; <60 years = 71.67%) but not specific (≥60 years = 45.15%; <60 years = 49.63%) for identifying hearing loss. The <60 age group had a hearing loss prevalence of 25.6%, and a false-positive rate of 67.12% compared with a prevalence of 69.12% and false-positive rate of 29.77% for the ≥60 age group. For all ages, rural participants were more likely to have a disabling hearing loss (odds ratio 2.04 (95% confidence interval, 1.55-2.67); χ(2)(1) = 27.28; P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in hearing aid uptake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients in rural areas presenting for hearing screenings are more likely to suffer hearing loss than adults in urban areas. We suggest rural health practitioners incorporate a self-reported hearing loss questionnaire into health check-ups for adults, particularly patients aged ≥60 years due to the high prevalence of hearing loss in this group.
authors: Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors: Christopher G
authors: CG
authors: Brennan-Jones
authors: Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Department of Audiology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors: Dunay S
authors: DS
authors: Taljaard
authors: Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors: Sophie E F
authors: SE
authors: Brennan-Jones
authors: Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Bennett
authors: Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors: De Wet
authors: de W
authors: Swanepoel
authors: Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors: Robert H
authors: RH
authors: Eikelboom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: hearing loss; hearing screening; primary health; rural health; self-report