QUALITY OF LIFE OF HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Quality of Life (QoL) encompasses an individual’s well-being and health, social participation and satisfaction with functioning in daily life. Hearing impairment causes communicative problems with significant consequences in cognitive, social and emotional well-being of students. However, information relating to the QoL of the hearing-impaired in Ibadan which could be used to design special health-related interventions is sparse. This study therefore examined the QoL of Hearing-Impaired Students (HIS) in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was used to enroll 102 HIS after a total sampling of all the four secondary schools for the deaf in Ibadan: two Total Mainstream Schools (TMS), one Partial Mainstream school (PMS) and one Special School (SS) for the deaf. Of the 102 respondents: 42 were from TMS, 31 from PMS and 29 from SS. Informed consent and assent were taken from the school authorities and students respectively. All respondents could read and write English. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and Health Related QoL (HRQoL) were collected using a questionnaire. A sign language interpreter communicated instructions on filling the questionnaire to students. Respondents’ HRQoL was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument, consisting of two global items on QoL and health; and four domains with 26 questions measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Minimum and maximum obtainable scores on WHOQOL-BREF are: Rating QoL (1 and 5), satisfaction with health (1 and 5), physical health (7 and 35), psychological health (6 and 30), social relationship (3 and 15), and environment (8 and 40). Total obtainable score ranged from 26 to 130; with higher score indicating higher QoL. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, student t-test, and ANOVA. Age of respondents was 17.8±2.8 years and 55.9% were females. Respondents’ HRQoL scores were: Rating QoL (2.7±1.2), satisfaction with health (2.7±1.3), physical health (12.7±2.5), psychological health (11.9±2.6), social relationship (11.9±2.7), and environment (11.3±2.3). Total QoL score was 47.9±10.1. Males had higher scores than females in all domains: physical health (12.9±2.9 versus 12.5±2.1), psychological (12.2±2.8 versus 11.6±2.5), social relationship (12.4±2.6 versus 11.6±2.7) and environment (11.6±2.4 versus 11.2±2.2), total QoL score 49.1±10.3 versus 46.7±9.6) without significant differences (p>0.05). Respondents in SS (13.4±2.2) scored higher than those in TMS (12.4±2.8) and PMS (12.3±2.2) on the physical health domain. Students attending SS (12.7±2.8) also had a higher score than those in TMS (11.8±2.8) and PMS (11.2±2.2) in the psychological health domain. Similarly, HIS in SS (12.9±3.0) also had higher score in social relationship compared to those in PMS (11.8±2.3) (p>0.05) and TMS (11.4±2.5) (p<0.05). Students in SS (12.6±2.3) had a significantly higher score in the environment domain than those in PMS (10.9±1.9) and TMS (10.8±2.2) (p<0.05). Hearing-impaired students generally had a poor quality of life, although students attending the special school have better quality of life than those attending other schools for the deaf in Ibadan metropolis. Interventions aimed at improving overall quality of life of hearing-impaired students in the study area are required. Keywords: Quality of life, Hearing impairment, Psychological health, Physical health,