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Pure-tone auditory threshold in school children

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology volume 269, pages 93–100 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

To determine pure-tone auditory thresholds, 197 screened children at a typical primary school in a German town (~70,000 inhabitants) were examined. All children underwent a tympanometry and an audiometry at 17 frequencies from 125 to 16 kHz. Regarding age effects, two groups (6–8 and 9–12 years) were analyzed. The cross-sectional research was supplemented by a follow-up study with 35 children of the first graders 3 years later. School children have the poorest hearing sensitivity at low frequencies (below 1 kHz) and the best sensitivity at the extended high frequencies above 8 kHz. Hearing thresholds are rising significantly with age. Through all frequencies, averaged improvements were 3.8 dB (right ear) and 3.7 dB (left ear) at the cross-sectional study and 3.7 dB (right ear) and 5.1 dB (left ear) at the longitudinal study. The overall deviation (left and right) from the standard thresholds for adults were 7.4 and 3.6 dB for the younger and older age groups, respectively. The ear canal volume (ECV) measured by tympanometric tests was at mean with 1.06 cm3 for the 6- to 8-year age group significantly lower (p < 0.001) in comparison with 1.18 cm3 for the 9- to 12-year age group. Also, girls had significant (p < 0.001) smaller ECV (mean 1.07 cm3) than boys (1.17 cm3). Auditory performance improves with rising age in school children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg, Aulweg 129, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Reinhard Müller & Joachim Schneider

  2. Arbeitsgruppe Hörforschung, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany

    Gerald Fleischer

Authors
  1. Reinhard Müller
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  2. Gerald Fleischer
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  3. Joachim Schneider
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Correspondence to Reinhard Müller.

Additional information

Some of the results are included in the thesis of Dipl. Ing. R. Müller.

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Müller, R., Fleischer, G. & Schneider, J. Pure-tone auditory threshold in school children. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 269, 93–100 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-011-1616-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-011-1616-9

Keywords

  • Audiometry
  • Auditory threshold
  • Development
  • School children
  • Tympanometry