Environmental factors and their associations with speech-language-hearing diagnostic hypotheses in children and adolescents

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze the associations between speech-language-hearing diagnostic hypotheses in children and adolescents and the Environmental Factors in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Methods: an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study carried out between 2016 and 2019 in an outpatient center with 5- to 16-year-old children and adolescents undergoing speech-language-hearing assessment and their parents/guardians. The Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria was used, and sociodemographic data were collected, along with speech-language-hearing diagnostic hypotheses and information on the presence of categories of the Environmental Factors, qualified as either barriers or facilitators. Descriptive and association analyses were made, using Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s Exact tests, with the significance level set at 0.05. Results: most participants had changes in oral language acquisition/development, written language, and oral-motor function. The most prevalent facilitators were in the categories of Services, Systems, and Policies; Support and Relationships; and Products and Technology, whereas the barriers were in the categories of Attitudes; Products and Technology; and Services, Systems, and Policies. The diagnostic hypotheses of “Change in cognitive aspects of language”, “Change in speech”, and “Change in voice” had a significant association with the codes present in chapters 3 - Support and Relationships, and 4 - Attitudes. Conclusion: this association shows that patients with communication changes need a comprehensive approach encompassing the Contextual Factors.