A Cross-Sectional Study of the Prevalence and Factors Associated With Tinnitus and/or Hyperacusis in Children.
Susanne Nemholt, Jesper Hvass Schmidt, Niels Wedderkopp and 1 others
PMID 31365354WHAT IT FOUND
Tinnitus was reported by 66.9% of children, but only 23.2% of all children found it bothersome and 15.6% had clinically significant tinnitus; 14.6% reported hyperacusis.
Key findings
01Tinnitus of any kind was reported by 66.9% (n = 335) of the 501 children tested.
02Bothersome tinnitus was reported by 23.2% of the whole population, and clinically significant tinnitus by 15.6% of the whole population.
03Hyperacusis was reported by 14.6% (n = 73) of children, and children with spontaneous tinnitus had 4.7 times higher odds of hyperacusis than children without it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The main limitation was a 40% response rate: 501 of 1296 invited children participated. Response rates varied by grade, from 54% in sixth grade to 23% in ninth grade, and the study did not compare nonresponders with responders. Families with an interest in or experience of tinnitus, hyperacusis, or hearing problems may have been more likely to take part, which could overestimate prevalence. The sample was not weighted, so the results cannot be extrapolated to the wider population. The questions had no test-retest data, so answer consistency over time was not checked. The hyperacusis question was broad and may have overestimated hyperacusis. The age range was narrow, with only one child aged 10 to 11 years and 6 aged 16 to 17 years, limiting age-related findings.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 66.9% tinnitus figure as showing that most children need treatment. Only 23.2% of all children were bothered, and 15.6% met the study's clinically significant definition. The study also had a 40% response rate and was not weighted, so prevalence may be overestimated.