Hyperacusis Questionnaire as a Tool for Measuring Hypersensitivity to Sound in a Tinnitus Research Population
Table 6
Response frequency distributions (%) for each Hyperacusis Questionnaire item.
Frequency of responses for items (%)
Mean
(±SD)
0
1
2
3
1
Use earplugs or earmuffs to reduce noise
67.8
24.2
4.5
3.4
0.44
(0.74)
2
Harder to ignore sounds in everyday situations
34.5
37.9
19.7
8.0
1.01
(0.93)
3
Trouble reading in noise
31.8
33.3
22.7
12.1
1.15
(1.01)
4
Trouble concentrating in noise
17.4
35.2
30.3
17.0
1.47
(0.97)
5
Difficulty listening to conversations in noise
8.7
20.1
28.4
42.8
2.05
(0.99)
6
Tolerate noise badly
70.5
17.8
5.7
6.1
0.47
(0.85)
7
Particularly sensitive to or bothered by noise
54.5
32.2
10.6
2.7
0.61
(0.78)
8
Noise unpleasant in certain situations
13.6
31.8
29.5
25.0
1.66
(1.00)
9
Think about the noise before going out
52.7
24.2
12.9
10.2
0.81
(1.02)
10
Turn down invitation because of noise
68.2
19.7
7.2
4.9
0.49
(0.83)
11
Sounds bother you more in quiet places than noisy
39.0
36.4
15.9
8.7
0.94
(0.95)
12
Stress and tired ness reduce ability to concentrate
19.3
39.0
25.0
16.7
1.39
(0.98)
13
Less able to concentrate at end of day
29.9
37.1
22.0
11.0
1.14
(0.97)
14
Certain sounds cause stress and irritation
22.3
41.3
23.9
12.5
1.27
(0.95)
Response frequency distributions presented in bold indicate that more than 15% of respondents rated the lowest or highest possible response option. All fourteen items showed either floor or/and ceiling effects (>15%).
