Assessing How Surveys Assess Hearing in Participants: Impacts of connotations and approach onto results

Hearing loss (HL) is rising among Americans, yet  little is known about how questions and survey approaches may influence how hearing loss is reported. The prevalence of hearing loss can fluctuate with how the question is asked and/or assessed, in addition, how well they engage potential DHH participants into their surveillances.   The population defined as living with ‘disability’ also can fluctuate depending on whether and how hearing is assessed within disability question modules. Respondents who identified with hearing loss of some kind are characterized as DHH.  DHH individuals are very heterogeneous in their background and their perceptions of their hearing loss. However, similarities among individuals define a population that public health has often overlooked in the past (e.g., HIV/AIDs education, emergency response).

The primary objectives were to evaluate how well surveillance questions assess hearing and to describe the surveillance data collection methods that may impact responses and participation by DHH eligible individuals.  We assessed surveys and administrative data definitions (National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys, the American Community Survey, state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveys, and targeted surveys (Barnett et al., 2011), and ICD codes) to identify how hearing loss is assessed and how this may influence how individuals respond or are included.  We also evaluated the engagement approaches. 

These findings will be reported in formats that engage different DHH groups into the development of hearing loss survey questions and considerations of how to maximize participation of these individuals into surveillance.  Standardization of the hearing questions could help improve surveillance of the DHH population.