Demographic characteristics of participants and non-participants in the current study of reading ability in teenagers
| Children with bilateral PCHI | Normally hearing children | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Whole sample* (n=120) | Teenage sample participating in present study (n=76) | Whole sample* (n=63) | Teenage sample participating in present study (n=38) |
| Mean age (SD) (range) in years At primary school assessment | 7.9 (1.3) (5.4 to 11.7) | 7.9 (1.1) (5.8 to 10.7) | 8.1 (1.0) (6.2 to 9.8) | 8.0 (1.1) (6.2 to 9.8) |
| Female sex n (%) | 53 (44) | 37 (49) | 26 (41) | 13 (34) |
| Severity of hearing loss n (%) | ||||
| Moderate | 62 (52) | 38 (50) | NA | NA |
| Severe | 29 (24) | 16 (21) | ||
| Profound | 29 (24) | 22 (29) | ||
| Born in periods with UNHS n (%) | 61 (51) | 37 (49) | NA | NA |
| PCHI confirmed ≤9 months n (%) | 57 (48) | 35 (46) | NA | NA |
| English as main language at home n (%) | 99 (83) | 67 (88) | 60 (95) | 36 (95) |
| Maternal education n (%) | ||||
| No qualifications or <5 O-levels† | 43 (36) | 24 (32) | 25 (40) | 11 (29) |
| ≥5 O-levels or some A-levels† | 62 (52) | 40 (53) | 25 (40) | 16 (42) |
| University or higher degree | 14 (12) | 12 (16) | 13 (21) | 11 (29) |
*The ‘whole sample’ was a population-based sample of children with PCHI and a normally hearing comparison group that participated 9 years earlier in a study of language and reading at primary school age.
†O-level examinations (now replaced by general certificates of education) are usually taken at 16 years of age; A-level examinations (now replaced by A2s) are taken 2 years later as qualifications for entry to higher education.
NA, not applicable; PCHI, permanent childhood hearing impairment (see Patients and methods section for detailed definition of degree of PCHI); UNHS, universal newborn hearing screening.