The Sensitivity of Adolescent School-Based Hearing Screens Is Significantly Improved by Adding High Frequencies. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sekhar, Deepa L.; Zalewski, Thomas R.; Beiler, Jessica S.; Czarnecki, Beth; Barr, Ashley L.; King, Tonya S.; Paul, Ian M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of school nursing. Volume 32:Number 6(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 416
• Page End: 422
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: adolescent health -- school-based clinics -- school nursing -- hearing screen -- hearing loss; School health services -- Periodicals; School nursing -- Periodicals; 610.73
• DOI: 10.1177/1059840516654004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1059-8405

Abstract

High frequency hearing loss (HFHL), often related to hazardous noise, affects one in six U.S. adolescents. Yet, only 20 states include school-based hearing screens for adolescents. Only six states test multiple high frequencies. Study objectives were to (1) compare the sensitivity of state school-based hearing screens for adolescents to gold standard sound-treated booth testing and (2) consider the effect of adding multiple high frequencies and two-step screening on sensitivity/specificity. Of 134 eleventh-grade participants (2013–2014), 43 of the 134 (32%) did not pass sound-treated booth testing, and 27 of the 43 (63%) had HFHL. Sensitivity/specificity of the most common protocol (1, 000, 2, 000, 4, 000 Hz at 20 dB HL) for these hearing losses was 25.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = [13.5, 41.2]) and 85.7% (95% CI [76.8, 92.2]), respectively. A protocol including 500, 1, 000, 2, 000, 4, 000, 6, 000 Hz at 20 dB HL significantly improved sensitivity to 76.7% (95% CI [61.4, 88.2]), p < .001. Two-step screening maintained specificity (84.6%, 95% CI [75.5, 91.3]). Adolescent school-based hearing screen sensitivity improves with high frequencies.