Investigating the Performance of a Questionnaire for Hearing Screening of Schoolchildren in China

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a questionnaire for mass screening of rural school children in China. A total of 154 children, ages ranging from 6-13 years (mean = 9.3 years, SD = 1.7), were screened using the Chinese Hearing Questionnaire for School Children (CHQS-II). The CHQS-II was designed to detect cases at risk of otitis media with effusion and/or at least a moderate hearing loss in one or both ears. The test performance of the questionnaire was determined through comparison with 'gold standard' assessments. The diagnostic protocol was failed by 9.7% of participants, whilst the questionnaire was failed by 47.4%. Overall, the CHQS-II was found to be only moderately accurate (.62) as a screening system. When compared with standard diagnostic tests, its sensitivity was moderate but its efficiency was poor. Therefore, it cannot be recommended as a technique for mass hearing screening of rural school children in China.