An Investigation of Related Factors to the Quality of Life in Children with Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Hamadan

Purpose:Quality of life is an individual's perception of his situation within his cultural context, influenced by physical, psychological, and personal and social beliefs. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the quality of life of children with sensorineural hearing loss and to compare the quality of life between different groups of participants. Methods:This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 68 children aged 2-12 years with sensorineural hearing loss. The Persian version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0) was administered to the children and their parents. Quality of life scores were calculated, and data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t-tests using SPSS software version 25.Results:The mean quality of life score was 70.79. There was a significant difference between the mean quality of life of girls (85.91 ± 14.85) and boys (74.56 ± 17.55), with girls reporting a higher quality of life on average (P<0.05). Children with cochlear implants (80.13 ± 9.51) had a higher mean quality of life compared to children with hearing aids (75.20 ± 10.05) (P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that increasing age had a significant negative correlation with quality of life (P<0.05). Additionally, mothers with academic degree were associated with a higher mean quality of life in children with sensorineural hearing loss, indicating a positive impact of this factor on quality of life.Conclusion:his study demonstrated that a child's age and mother's education level were significantly associated with the quality of life of children with sensorineural hearing loss. Furthermore, children using cochlear implants had a higher mean quality of life compared to those using hearing aids. These findings can assist policymakers and healthcare professionals to design and implement effective intervention programs to improve the quality of life of this group of children.