LittlEARS auditory questionnaire as an infant hearing screening in Germany after the newborn hearing screening

Validation of LittleEARS questionnaire in Hindi language

Background

Subjective measures of auditory development are equally important as objective measures to obtain a realistic image of the hearing status in infants and toddlers.

Objectives

The objectives of the current study were to translate and validate the LittleEARS questionnaire into the Hindi language, to calculate its psychometric properties and establish a regression curve of the scores obtained as a function of age, to calculate the inter-test and test retest reliability of the same. The secondary objectives were to compare the scores obtained by the normal hearing children and those with hearing impairment and to plot a regression curve of total scores obtained by the hearing-impaired children as a function of the duration of auditory training attended since their first fit of the device.

Materials and methods

The procedures involved conventional translation, reverse translation, and content validation before administering the questionnaire. The translated version was administered to parents of 59 children with normal hearing and 41 children with hearing impairment.

Results

The finalized version had good reliability and efficient internal consistency with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.96. The mean scores obtained by the normal hearing children showed a progressive pattern as a function of age.

Conclusion

The LittleEARS questionnaire has been successfully translated and validated into the Hindi language with excellent validity and reliability and can be used for screening and early identification of hearing impairment and in evaluating the outcome of audiological treatment approaches.

Long-Term Device Satisfaction and Safety after Cochlear Implantation in Children

(1) Objectives: For full benefit in children implanted with a cochlear implant (CI), wearing the device all waking hours is necessary. This study focuses on the relationship between daily use and audiological outcomes, with the hypothesis that frequent daily device use coincides with high device satisfaction resulting in better functional gain (FG). Confounding factors such as implantation age, device experience and type of device were considered. (2) Results: Thirty-eight CI children (65 ears) were investigated. In total, 76.92% of the children were using their device for >12 h per day (h/d), 18.46% for 9−12 h/d, the remaining for 6−9 h/d and one subject reported 3 h/d. The revision rate up to the 90-month follow-up (F/U) was 4.6%. The mean FG was 59.00 ± 7.67 dB. The Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ) separated for single unit (SU) versus behind the ear (BTE) devices showed significantly better results for the latter in terms of wearing comfort (WC) (p = 0.00062). A correlation between device use and FG was found with a device experience of <2 years (n = 29; r2 = 0.398), whereas no correlation was seen with ≥2 years of device experience (n = 36; r2 = 0.0038). (3) Conclusion: This study found significant relationships between daily device use and FG, wearing comfort and long-term safety (90 months).

Validation of the LittlEARS® Questionnaire in Hearing Maltese-Speaking Children

Objectives: To adapt the LittlEARS^® Auditory Questionnaire into the Maltese language and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Maltese version of the questionnaire for hearing children. Methods: The English version of LittlEARS^® Auditory Questionnaire was adapted into Maltese using a translation/back translation procedure. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 398 parents of normal hearing children aged between 5 days and 36 months completed the Maltese version of LittlEARS^®. Psychometric validation was performed through scale analysis, item analysis, and analysis of reliability and validity. A non-linear regression model was derived to obtain normative data for expected and minimum values of total scores from the questionnaire according to age. Results: Predictive accuracy (Guttman’s lambda) was 0.921, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value was 0.921, and the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.949. The Pearson correlation coefficient between scores and age was 0.903. The regression analysis showed that 82% of the variance in the total scores can be explained by age. Norm curves were comparable to the original German data. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the Maltese version of LittlEARS^® is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate auditory development in children less than two years of age.

Translation and validation of the LittlEars auditory questionnaire in Kannada

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to translate and validate the LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) in Kannada.

METHOD

The translation procedure followed a traditional translation, back translation, and content validity process before administering. The finalized version was administered on 87 children with 67 normal hearing children and 20 hearing-impaired children.

RESULTS

The tool had good internal consistency, good reliability, and a norm curve could be established. The Cronbach alpha value for item correlation ranged from 0.26 to 0.79. A significant difference was found between normal hearing individuals and hearing impaired.

CONCLUSION

The LEAQ tool has been translated and validated for the Kannada speaking population and can be used as a screening tool for children up to two years of age and as a subjective outcome measuring tool for hearing aid and Cochlear Implant user.