Journal of Ergonomics
Open Access

Abstract

The Category Subdivision Scale of Subjective Hearing Impairment a Screening Instrument for Reduced Hearing Capacity

Verena Wagner, Wolfgang Rominger and K Wolfgang Kallus

Demographic development will lead to an aging working population. Therefore, dealing with age-related impairments like hearing impairment has become a central issue. Thus, there is need in a valid screening instrument for hearing impairment. So, a new simple method, the Category Subdivision Scale of Subjective Hearing Impairment (CSS-SHI), was tested.

Data are collected within five different studies (236 employees): One pilot study and four studies to validate and replicate the results of the pilot study. In each study the participants first assessed their self-reported hearing impairment using the CSS-SHI and afterwards hearing capacity was measured by audiometry.

The results show that self-reported hearing impairment measured with CSS-SHI correlates substantially with pure-tone audiometry.

The CSS-SHI is a very fast and easy to use screening instrument that allows a valid statement about hearing impairment, also when the situation, sample size and/or environment do not allow the use of a pure-tone audiometry.