Factors Associated With Auditory Lifestyle of Adult Cochlear Implant Users

Abstract

Purpose: Auditory lifestyle, which refers to the variety, range, and types of audi-tory environments individuals encounter in their daily lives, can affect individ-uals’ daily communication functions and moderate the outcomes of hearing interventions. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with adult cochlear implant (CI) users’ auditory lifestyle. Method: This observational study included 209 adult CI users. The factors examined included sex, age, social network characteristics, geographical loca-tion of residence, cognitive functioning, and speech recognition performance. The Auditory Lifestyle and Demand Questionnaire was used to measure partici-pants’ auditory lifestyle. Associations between variables were analyzed using regression models and structural equation modeling. Results: Regression models indicated that CI users who had larger social net-works, were younger or middle aged, and possessed better speech recognition abilities were more likely to experience a diverse and demanding auditory life-style. Additionally, sex, age, and cognitive functioning (memory) were associ-ated with the size and diversity of social networks. Finally, structural equation modeling revealed that while age and speech recognition performance were directly related to auditory lifestyle, the impact of age and sex on auditory life-style was mediated by the size of social networks. Conclusions: Sex, age, size of social networks, and speech recognition ability are associated with CI users’ auditory lifestyle. This research highlights the sig-nificance of taking into account the demographics and social network charac-teristics of adult CI users when assessing the auditory environments they expe-rience in their daily lives.