Print deze pagina
Models & Epidemiology
The main goal is to understand the relations among hearing loss, cognitive functioning, and auditory communication in everyday conditions. Various methods are used, ranging from psychological and psychophysical experiments to epidemiological studies.
Current projects
1. National Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL-SH)
| Projectcode: | WC05-044 |
| Project leader: | S.E. Kramer, PhD / J.M. Festen, PhD |
| PhD student: | J. Nachtegaal, MSc |
| Grant: | Stichting het Heinsius-Houbolt Fonds |
| Period: | 1 febr. 2006 – 1 febr. 2010 |
BACKGROUND
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting people. In The Netherlands about 1.5 million people suffer from hearing loss. It means that one in ten persons experience hearing difficulties. The consequences of hearing impairment among older adults have been extensively studied. However, relatively little is known about the effect of hearing impairment among younger adults, aged 18 - 65 years. Do hearing impaired adults differ from normally hearing peers in their participation at the labour market? Does hearing loss affect work and income? Do hearing-impaired younger adults experience more feelings of loneliness compared to their normally hearing peers? To what extent does the deterioration of hearing affect this relationship? The National Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL-SH) is intended to address these questions.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between hearing impairment and various aspects of live, such as work, psychosocial health, quality of life and use of health care. The results will yield more insight into the role of hearing loss in various domains. Such information is required to adequately develop and organize policy and health care.
RESULTS
On February 1ST, 2006 the project titled “National Longitudinal Study on Hearing” (NL-SH) officially started. Permission was obtained by the scientific committee of the EMGO Institute and the Medical Ethical committee of the VU medical centre. The project is also registered by the “College Bescherming Persoonsgegevens”. Below an overview of the activities is given.
1. Design of an internet site:
A website was designed, www.hooronderzoek.nl, on which information can be found about the study and how to enrol in the study. This site is linked with the website of the National Hearing test. After participating in the hearing test, a link follows to the site of this study, were people can subscribe directly. On various other websites a link to the NLSH website is placed.
2. Recruitment of participants
Participants are recruited through the internet, by flyers and by approaching people via companies by which the are employed. On the internet participants are recruited at the NLSH website as well as by messages on websites such as www.doof.nl, www.oorakel.nl and www.nvvs.nl. Flyers are designed, which are spread among all branch dispensers of “Beter Horen”, “Schoonenberg Hoorcomfort” and the “HINK groep” and all Audiological Centres in the Netherlands. The “Nederlandse Vereniging voor Slechthorenden” spread the flyer at the “50+ beurs”. Further, various companies including the railway company (NS) were approached for recruiting participants. These companies placed a message about the study on their intranet or spread the message by email. On January 12, 2006, we had 1360 participants. The possibility to subscribe to the study will be continued until 1500 participants have enrolled.
3. News letters
To keep participants informed about the study developments we sent four newsletters. Next to the study developments and plans, we present and answer a frequently asked question in these letters. The newsletters can also be found on the study website.
4. Project group meetings
Various meetings were arranged with the project group about, for example, the selection of the questionnaires for the study and the recruitment of participants.
5. Selecting and composing questionnaires
The selected questionnaires focus on three different domains in life: psychosocial health, health care use and work. To survey psychosocial health we probe depression, distress, anxiety, somatisation, loneliness and self-efficacy. Health care use focuses on the type of care and the frequency at which the care in called upon. Occupational status, absenteeism, work performance and recovery needs are dealt with in the work domain. Further, specific questions about hearing are asked.
6. Programming questionnaires for internet usage
Participants filled in the questionnaires through the internet. To make this possible, the selected questionnaires were programmed in the application eXamine.
7. Measurements
The baseline questionnaire was sent to 1252 participants on the 10th of November 2006. After one week a reminder was sent by email and after a month a reminder by letter was sent to the non-responders. Every week the questionnaire was sent to newly enrolled participants. Until January, 12 2007 1356 questionnaires were sent, of which 1018 were returned completely filled out.
2. National Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL-SH) 2
| Projectcode: | WC2010-032 |
| Project leader: | S.E. Kramer, PhD / J.M. Festen, PhD |
| PhD student: | M. Stam, MSc |
| Grant: | Phonak Switzerland |
| Period: | 1 sept. 2010 – present |
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the (long term) consequences of hearing difficulties in daily life among younger adults. The first PhD-project within the National Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL-SH) examined the impact of hearing impairment on psychosocial health, work and health care use. There is a lack of longitudinal data worldwide when it comes to the effect of (a change in) hearing on the various aspects of life.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the current study is to conduct a second measurement cycle. So, the NL-SH database will be extended to a longitudinal cohort study. The course of hearing loss over ± 5 year in relation to a range of conditions and variables (e.g. change in psychological, social and emotional function, participation in work, use of health care) will be investigated. Also the use of hearing aids, factors influencing hearing aid uptake, and the long-term effects of hearing aids uptake will be examined. Finally, the aim is to increase the number of participants to better describe the relationship between demographics, hearing loss and co-morbidity. The results will yield more insight into the role of hearing ability in daily life and the effects of aural rehabilitation. Such information is required to adequately develop and organize policy and health care.
RESULTS
On February 1ST, 2006 the project titled “National Longitudinal Study on Hearing” (NL-SH) officially started. Permission was obtained by the scientific committee of the EMGO Institute and the Medical Ethical committee of the VU medical centre. The project is also registered by the “College Bescherming Persoonsgegevens”. Below an overview of the activities is given.
METHODS
The study officially started on February 1st 2006, and is entirely conducted over the Internet (www.hooronderzoek.nl). Both normally hearing and hearing impaired adults aged 18-70 years participate in this prospective cohort study. Hearing ability is measured using the internet version of the National Hearing Test as developed by Smits et al. (2006). Questionnaires administered via the internet are used to examine psychosocial health (distress, depression, anxiety, somatisation, loneliness and self-efficacy), work characteristics (job demands and control, need for recovery, sick leave), and health care utilization. New concepts in the second measurement cycle will be participation in society, autonomy and the impact of hearing impairment on social relationships.
RESULTS
Preparatory activities are currently being carried out in order to start the second wave of the NL-SH. The website is updated and the new website will be released soon. It is expected that we will start the follow-up data collection in spring 2011.