Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate two objectives: first, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and socio-demographic characteristics of children with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs) on the Kid-KINDLR_children_7-13 questionnaire, and second to analyze parental background factors and the perceptions of their children with CIs or HAs on the Kid_Kiddo-KINDLR_Parents_ 7-17 questionnaire. The data consisted of 89 children with CIs and 63 children with HAs and their 89 parents, respectively. The characteristics of children and the parental factors included demographic and audiological variables. Student’s t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the two objectives. Children with CIs exhibited a perception of better HRQoL in comparison with children with HAs. Among other differences, children with CIs or HAs and their parents were significantly distinct in the variable Setting (t = 2.921, p < 0.010). Moreover, parents of children with CIs or HAs were significantly different among them in some background factors (i.e., age, socioeconomic status, and learning). Children with CIs and their parents demonstrated a perception of better HRQoL than children with HAs and their parents. These findings added to the existing knowledge about the benefits of CIs for children with hearing loss. Parents of children with CIs noted the significance of social and emotional development as a marker of well-being in their children’s lives.

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