An assessment of family quality of life in households with children with hearing and speech impairments

Abstract

Background: There are 240 million children with disabilities worldwide, of whom 34 million have hearing and speech impairments; in Mongolia, 1,538 children are affected.¹,³ Due to barriers in health care, education, employment, social services, and living environments, people with disabilities face limited opportunities to fully participate in social life. In addition to encountering greater obstacles, households with members with disabilities experience poverty levels twice as high as those without.⁴ While studies on children with disabilities in Mongolia have addressed issues related to education, health, and access to social services, little research has been conducted on family quality of life and the factors influencing it. Aim: This study aims to assess the quality of life of families with children who have hearing and speech impairments and to identify factors that influence it. Materials and Methods: The quality of life of families with children who have hearing and speech impairments was assessed using a standardized questionnaire developed by researchers at the University of Kansas, United States, which examines five core domains of family quality of life. A total of 120 parents and caregivers of children aged 0–18 years with hearing and speech impairments were included in the study. Results: The mean family quality of life score among families of children with hearing and speech impairments was 3.79±0.61. Among the subdomains, the highest scores were reported for parental role (3.94) and family interactions (3.92), while emotional well-being received the lowest score (3.57). Factors influencing family quality of life included the presence of comorbid disabilities in the child, the caregiver’s self-rated health, stress level, family size, and adequacy of household income. Conclusion: The quality of life of families raising children with hearing and speech impairments was found to be generally good. Factors influencing family quality of life included the type of child’s disability, caregiver’s age, health status, stress level, family size, and adequacy of household income.