The Relationship between Public Life Quality and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) in Adults with Different Hearing Losses

In health system using patient-based tools to measure life quality is a source of making clinical decision. The voice of individuals with hearing loss faces have some problems because of getting inappropriate feedback. According to multilateral impacts on life quality, it is necessary to study the relationship between public life quality (SF 36) and voice-related life quality (VHI) in adults with different hearing losses. The present study is descriptive–analytical and samples were 50 individuals with hearing loss (25 individuals with mild hearing losses, 25 individuals with moderate to severe). Basic information was extracted by interview and then the subjects completed the SF36 and VHI questionnaires. The mean score of each questionnaire was calculated, and the obtained data were analyzed by spearman statistical test in SPSS 22 software. There isn’t any significant correlation between the total score and three subtests of VHI (emotional, physical, and functional) and SF36 in individuals with mild hearing loss. Also the results showed that there is significant correlation between the total score and two subtests of VHI (physical and functional) except emotional tests and SF36 in individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss. This study emphasizes the need for psychosocial rehabilitation along with sound technique. So it is necessary that speech and language pathologists try to improve cognitive-psychosocial factors along with voice treatments to increase voice-related quality of life in these patients.