Validity, diagnostic accuracy and reliability of the Whispered Paronym Words Test for the Rapid Detection of Presbycusis
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to determine the validity, diagnostic accuracy and reliability of the Whispered Paronym Words Test (WPWT) when used in detection of presbycusis at primary healthcare centers.
The participants were 156 individuals over 65 years of age and 36 young people without hearing problems. Hearing capacity was assessed using pure-tone audiometry and the WPWT.
Using the WPWT, 94 people were diagnosed with presbycusis, a finding that significantly correlates with data obtained via pure-tone audiometry [r = -.84 (p <. 001)]. A comparison of these scores with the values obtained for the younger people yielded a high degree of statistical significance (p < .00). We have been able to demonstrate the diagnostic capacity of the test at a level of AUC (.93). It was determined that the optimal cut-off point to determine whether a patient may have presbycusis should be established at 8 points out of a maximum score of 10 (sensitivity = 94% and specificity 62%). Finally, we assessed the reliability of the test using Spearman’s rho test (.96). The WPWT could serve as initial test to apt for inclusion in programs aimed at detecting presbycusis.
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