254821 Perceptions of Quality of Life among Adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 4:35 PM - 4:53 PM

Poorna Kushalnagar, PhD , Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Michael M. McKee, MD, MPH , Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Scott Smith, MD, MPH , Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY
Ivy Vetor , College of Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Melinda Hopper, PhD , National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Denise Kavin, EdD , National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester
AIMS: Existing deaf or hard of hearing (DHH)-specific quality of life instruments for adults have not included the important voices of adults of different age, sex, hearing levels, and modes of communication. Adults with various level of hearing loss participated in the simultaneous development of the Adult Quality of Life-Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AQoL-DHH) using the needs-based model.

METHODS: Purposive and theoretical sampling of adults ages 18-65 years who were deaf or hard of hearing was conducted in USA. Semi-structured interviews probed adults' perceptions of their quality of life. Interviews were coded in Atlas-ti 5.0 by pairs of researchers. Items were written based on interview text and compiled into a long-list by hypothesized domain. Items were crafted using needs-based criteria. The item list reduced iteratively by consensus and in consultation with an expert panel. Cognitive interviews were conducted to assess readability and clarity of survey items.

CONCLUSION: The DHH-specific adult quality of life instrument has established content validity based on a sample of adults with varying degrees of hearing loss and diverse communication backgrounds. Thematic analysis will be revealed and discussed in the context of defining and measuring DHH-related adult quality of life.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
To demonstrate the need for a culturally sensitive instrument that assesses perceived quality of life among adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. To identify and describe the domains that impact perceived quality of life in adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Keywords: Quality of Life, Deaf

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: my expertise and training is in patient-reported quality of life outcomes research with deaf/hard of hearing population.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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