Speech-in-Noise Test results of compensation claimants for noise induced hearing loss in Korean male workers: Words-in-Noise Test (WIN) and quick-Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT)

• Published in: Annals of occupational and environmental medicine Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. e11 - 11
• Main Authors: Kim, Ji Soo, Kwon, Joong Keun, Kim, Nam Jeong, Lee, Ji Ho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine 20.04.2021; 대한직업환경의학회
• Subjects: 예방의학; Speech-in-Noise Test; Pure-tone threshold; Noise-induced hearing loss; Speech intelligibility
• ISSN: 2052-4374; 2052-4374
• DOI: 10.35371/aoem.2021.33.e11

Pure-tone audiometry is used as a gold standard for hearing measurement. However, since communication in the work environment occurs in noise, it might be difficult to evaluate the actual communication ability accurately based on pure-tone audiometry only. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate speech intelligibility in noisy environments by using Speech-in-Noise Tests and to check its relationship with pure-tone audiometry. From January 2017 to September 2018, for 362 workers who visited a university hospital for the purpose of compensating for noise-induced hearing loss, several tests were conducted: pure-tone audiometry, speech reception threshold, speech discrimination score, and Speech-in-Noise Tests (Words-in-Noise Test [WIN] and quick-Hearing-in-Noise Test [quick-HINT]). The subjects were classified into serviceable hearing group and non-serviceable hearing group based on 40 dB hearing level (HL) pure-tone average. In both groups, we conducted age-adjusted partial correlation analysis in order to find out the relationship between pure-tone threshold, speech reception threshold, speech discrimination score and WIN and quick-HINT respectively. In non-serviceable hearing group, all results of partial correlation analysis were statistically significant. However, in serviceable hearing group, there were many results which showed little or no significant relationship between pure-tone threshold and Speech-in-Noise Tests (WIN and quick-HINT). The relationship between Speech-in-Noise Tests and the pure-tone thresholds were different by the hearing impairment levels; in mild to moderate hearing loss workers, there was little or no relationship; in severe cases, the relationship was significant. It is not enough to predict the speech intelligibility of hearing-impaired persons, especially in mild to moderate level, with pure-tone audiometry only. Therefore, it would be recommended to conduct Speech-in-Noise Test.