Digits-in-noise test in Brazilian Portuguese: how demographic and socioeconomic variables influence normal-hearing subjects.
Victor Vasconcelos Barros, Aryelly Dayane da Silva Nunes-Araújo, Aline Roberta Xavier da Silva and 3 others
PMID 35544883WHAT IT FOUND
Normal hearing adults with higher education and socioeconomic status scored better on a smartphone hearing screening test in noise.
Age also affected results, with younger adults performing better than those over 60. Gender made no difference. These factors must be considered when interpreting scores.
Key findings
01Educational level and socioeconomic status significantly influenced test scores, with higher levels associated with better performance.
02Age affected results, as adults aged 20-39 performed better than those aged 40-59 and 60-79.
03Gender did not influence the speech recognition threshold in noise.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a preliminary version of the smartphone application, which required researcher intervention for technical issues like zooming, potentially affecting user experience. Participants were recruited from specific regions in Northeastern Brazil, so results may not generalize to other populations. The study included only normal-hearing subjects, so the impact of these variables on people with actual hearing loss remains unknown.
Declared interests
The study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES). No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a higher score on the Digits-in-Noise test indicates better hearing ability in isolation. The study shows that socioeconomic status and education level strongly predict test performance even in people with normal hearing, so these factors must be accounted for before diagnosing a deficit.