Mode of Administration of LittlEARS® (MED-EL) Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) as a Screening Tool in Ghana: Are there any differences in final test scores between “Self Administration” and “Interview”?

Abstract

The mode of administration of LittlEARS^® Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) in Ghana, where a Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) has not been implemented and in addition about 31% of adults have never been to school was investigated. The original LEAQ English version was adapted into three Akan (Ghanaian) languages using the translation/back-translation procedure recommended by the International Test Commission and validated using data collected for N= 402 children. The effect of administration mode was however, investigated by collecting data from N=152 respondents. Our results show that it does not make any difference in terms of LEAQ scores whether the questionnaire was administered via interview or by self - administration.  Results of the study support the position that LEAQ is an appropriate screening tool for children living in developing countries where adult illiteracy rates are high.