Speech perception in noise varies among individuals with clinically normal hearing and is not fully explained by peripheral hearing sensitivity. This study examined whether maternal education, an indicator of socioeconomic status, is associated with Quick Speech-in-Noise (QuickSIN) performance in 63 young adults with normal hearing....
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Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
The audiogram alone may miss real-world listening difficulties linked to socioeconomic background; no immediate protocol change is warranted, but clinicians should consider expanded speech-in-noise testing for patients who report difficulty despite normal audiograms.
This study highlights that socioeconomic factors independently shape auditory processing, challenging the field's reliance on the audiogram as the sole gatekeeper of hearing health.
- 01Maternal education level was associated with speech-in-noise (SiN) perception in young adults with clinically normal audiograms.
- 02Findings suggest socioeconomic status influences central auditory processing beyond peripheral hearing sensitivity.
- 03Normal audiogram results do not rule out meaningful real-world listening difficulty.
- 04Results support broader use of SiN testing in clinical and research contexts.
- 05Published in JASA Express Letters; study population appears to be young adults.
Maternal education level is associated with speech-in-noise perception in young adults with normal audiograms.
studypartially supportedSocioeconomic factors influence auditory processing beyond peripheral hearing sensitivity.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42911113
- DOI
- 10.1121/10.0047002.
- Journal
- JASA Express Letters
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Young adults with clinically normal audiograms
- Intervention
- Assessment of speech-in-noise perception in relation to maternal education level
Primary outcomes
Speech-in-noise perception scores; Association between maternal education and auditory processing performance