This study aims to compare pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength between children with hearing impairment and their healthy peers. Hearing plays a critical role not only in communication but also in cognitive, sensory, and psychomotor development. Children with hearing impairment may experience balance and coordination problems, vestibular dysfunction, and reduced muscle strength, which may negatively affect respiratory function.
Although several studies have evaluated pulmonary function in children with hearing impairment, research investigating respiratory muscle strength in this population is limited. To our knowledge, no peer-reviewed study has directly compared respiratory muscle strength between children with hearing impairment and healthy controls.
This study will compare spirometric parameters and respiratory muscle strength measurements between children with hearing impairment and age-matched healthy controls.
Aged between 7 and 16 years
Diagnosed with hearing loss
No neurological or orthopedic disorders
No syndrome and/or disease causing intellectual disability, developmental disorder, or visual impairment
Intellectual disability preventing participation in assessment procedures
Presence of chronic respiratory disease
Inability to perform pulmonary function or respiratory muscle strength tests properly