Associations Among Parental Anxiety, Family Rehabilitation Participation, and Auditory-Language Outcomes in Preschool Children Using Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants.

PURPOSE: This study examined associations among parental anxiety, family rehabilitation participation, device data logging variables, and auditory-language outcomes in preschool children using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

METHOD: Fifty parent-child dyads participated in this cross-sectional study. Parents completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Family Rehabilitation Participation Form, and the Parents' Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) questionnaire. Children were assessed using the Turkish Early Language Development Test. Device data logging variables included daily average device use, number of days used, speech environment exposure, and noisy environment exposure.

RESULTS

Higher parental anxiety was associated with lower family rehabilitation participation, with the strongest association observed for trait anxiety (r = -.520, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-.698, -.283], p < .001). Family participation was positively associated with parent-reported auditory performance (r = .333, 95% CI [.061, .560], p = .018) but not with age-standardized language scores (r = .121, p = .401). The mean ± SD daily device use was 8.52 ± 1.57 hr/day. In exploratory regression models, trait anxiety and rehabilitation frequency significantly predicted family participation, and family participation was positively associated with PEACH total percentage score. Device data logging variables were not significant independent predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental trait anxiety and family rehabilitation participation may be clinically relevant in pediatric hearing rehabilitation. Family participation appeared more closely related to parent-reported everyday auditory performance than to standardized language scores. Device data logging provided useful clinical context but did not independently predict auditory performance in the exploratory model. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify these relationships.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.34024143.