Factors that Affect the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS) in Adults with Hearing Technology
Location
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Start Date
4-5-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2024 11:30 AM
Poster Number
55
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Marcy Hite
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Audiology and Speech Language Pathology
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Presentation Category
Health
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Fatigue is a common issue for individuals with hearing loss. Without hearing technology, listening in difficult environments can cause symptoms of listening fatigue and burnout. Individuals may find themselves avoiding social situations, needing time to “recharge,” and experiencing a decrease in their quality of life. Hearing technology can improve speech understanding in noise and thus reduce listening fatigue. The purpose of this study is to see the difference in participant reported fatigue through the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS) across different hearing technologies (hearing aids, cochlear implants, or both [i.e., bimodal users]). The VFS looks for a relationship between hearing loss and fatigue. It uses subscales to compare emotional and social consequences through subjective ratings. The study objectives were as follows: 1) Will listening fatigue vary across type of technology used 2) Will length of device use impact listening fatigue 3) Will daily wear time impact listening fatigue We recruited adults between the ages of 18-88 that were established patients at the ETSU Audiology Clinic. The VFS was completed during their regularly scheduled appointment time. Data analysis will be completed using an ANOVA statistical analysis to determine any differences across the groups (hearing aid users, cochlear implant users, and bimodal users) in reported fatigue (VFS). Additionally, length of device use and daily wear time will be covariates to determine any effects on reported fatigue (VFS). We expect that users in the HA group will have the highest reported listening fatigue on the VFS, followed by the bimodal users then cochlear implant users. We expect length of hearing device use to impact reported listening fatigue, i.e., experienced users will report less fatigue than new users. It is also expected that daily wear time will have a strong negative correlation to self-reported fatigue, in that users who wear their devices for more hours a day will experience less fatigue. Data analysis is underway and will be completed by end of March.
Factors that Affect the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS) in Adults with Hearing Technology
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Fatigue is a common issue for individuals with hearing loss. Without hearing technology, listening in difficult environments can cause symptoms of listening fatigue and burnout. Individuals may find themselves avoiding social situations, needing time to “recharge,” and experiencing a decrease in their quality of life. Hearing technology can improve speech understanding in noise and thus reduce listening fatigue. The purpose of this study is to see the difference in participant reported fatigue through the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS) across different hearing technologies (hearing aids, cochlear implants, or both [i.e., bimodal users]). The VFS looks for a relationship between hearing loss and fatigue. It uses subscales to compare emotional and social consequences through subjective ratings. The study objectives were as follows: 1) Will listening fatigue vary across type of technology used 2) Will length of device use impact listening fatigue 3) Will daily wear time impact listening fatigue We recruited adults between the ages of 18-88 that were established patients at the ETSU Audiology Clinic. The VFS was completed during their regularly scheduled appointment time. Data analysis will be completed using an ANOVA statistical analysis to determine any differences across the groups (hearing aid users, cochlear implant users, and bimodal users) in reported fatigue (VFS). Additionally, length of device use and daily wear time will be covariates to determine any effects on reported fatigue (VFS). We expect that users in the HA group will have the highest reported listening fatigue on the VFS, followed by the bimodal users then cochlear implant users. We expect length of hearing device use to impact reported listening fatigue, i.e., experienced users will report less fatigue than new users. It is also expected that daily wear time will have a strong negative correlation to self-reported fatigue, in that users who wear their devices for more hours a day will experience less fatigue. Data analysis is underway and will be completed by end of March.