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Background There are numerous quality-of-life (QoL) assessment tools available; however, only a few are designed specifically for children with chronic conditions. Among these assessment tools are the Hearing Environments and Reflection on QoL questionnaires for children (HEAR-QL26, HEAR-Q28) developed by Washington University. Unfortunately, there are no other tools that assess hearing loss, and none of them are in Arabic. This paper aims to adapt the HEAR-QL to Arabic and provide an accessible method of measuring the QoL of children with hearing loss in our Arabic-speaking populations. Methodology An independent medical translator translated the HEAR-QL26 and HEAR-QL28 into Arabic. The translations were then examined by two bilingual, native Arabic-speaking otolaryngologists who modified the inadequate questions. Back-translation of the Arabic version into English was subsequently performed by an independent translator. Intra-rater reliability was tested for each of HEAR-QL26 and HEAR-QL28 using 10 participants for each survey, where the participants answered the surveys twice with a period of two weeks between them. A pilot study was conducted which had a total of 40 participants divided equally between the two surveys where each group had an equal number of hearing participants and participants with hearing loss. Results Both HEAR-QL26 and HEAR-QL28 were validated with an overall intra-rater reliability of 88.85% and 87.86% respectively. In the pilot study, the HEAR-QL26 participants with normal hearing scored a median of 2437.5, while the participants with hearing loss scored a median of 1837.5 (p = 0.001). Moreover, HEAR-QL28 participants had a median score of 2725 among participants with normal hearing and 1725 for participants with hearing loss (p = 0.001). Conclusion HEAR-QL is a well-established QoL in children with hearing loss. The validated Arabic adaptation can now be used to measure deafness in Arabic-speaking children.
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Introduction The 'hearing aid effect' is a negative perception toward individuals using hearing assistive devices (HADs), which is a primary reason for parents and children refusing to use them. We aimed to determine the current perception toward individuals using HADs and the associated factors. Methods A 30-item photo-based survey was conducted to analyze the participants' perception toward individuals using HADs as compared to healthy (H) individuals and individuals with disabilities (D). The survey was validated with an intrarater reliability of 86%. A cross-sectional study was conducted by approaching individuals who visited one of the largest shopping centers in a metropolitan city to participate in the survey. Demographic information, including age, gender, and educational background, was collected. Results A total of 517 participants completed the survey. Nearly two-thirds of the participants (59.7%) did not consider individuals using HADs as those who needed assistance as compared to H individuals. Interestingly, Generation X and Z participants had a significantly better perception toward individuals using HADs (63.1% and 59%, respectively) as compared to participants of the Baby Boomers generation (54.3%). The majority of participants who considered HD use a handicap compared to healthy individuals (79.9%) did not have a family member that used a HAD. Conclusion The stigma of wearing a HAD is significantly reducing with time, and the younger generations are not considering it as a disability. This is an important point that can be highlighted while counseling parents and young adults who are candidates for HAD use.
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OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence and the association of stress with sleep quality among medical students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among 326 medical students of KAU using a stratified random sampling technique. An electronic self-administered questionnaire was used. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess the stress and sleep quality, respectively. RESULTS: The overall students who experienced stress were 65%. The prevalence of poor sleep quality (total PSQI score ≥5) was 76.4%. There was a strong association between stress and poor sleep quality (value of Cramer's V = 0.371, P < 0.001), and it showed that the increase in stress level is a significant predictor of poor sleep quality. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of stress and poor sleep quality was found among the students and the study confirms a strong association between them. We recommend establishing courses focusing on educating the students about proper sleep hygiene and how to deal with the stressful environment.