Objective To investigate the changes of learning ability of hearing-impaired children after surgery and its influencing factors.

Methods Forty-four hearing-impaired children aged 5-17years old from a rehabilitation institution in Hefei City were included as the subjects of the study. A self-made general situation questionnaire and the Heinrich Learning Ability Test scale were used for questionnaire survey and evaluation. Repeated measures ANOVA and multivariable linear regression model were used to analyze the data.

Results The deviation intelligence quotient of children with hearing impairment gradually increased over time at one month, three months, six months, and one year after surgery, with scores of (97.50 ± 15.18), (100.68 ± 14.89), (104.80 ± 15.42), and (106.36 ± 15.26), respectively (P ＜ 0.01). Under different demographic characteristics groups, the time effect of deviation intelligence quotient at different time points was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.01), the differences of pairwise comparison were all statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05). Inter group effect of different gender and age were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05). The interaction effects between time and inter group of deviation intelligence quotient were statistically significant under different groups of gender, age, current residence, children primary caregiver's education level and primary caregiver's language input type (P ＜ 0.05). Children primary caregiver's education level, primary caregiver's language input type and deviation intelligence quotient one month after surgery were related factors affecting the hearing-impaired children deviation intelligence quotient one year after surgery (P ＜ 0.05).

Conclusions The learning ability of hearing-impaired children improved significantly with time after surgery, and affected by many factors. Focusing on improving the language input environment and encouraging primary caregivers of children to use Mandarin language input is conducive to improving the learning ability of hearing-impaired children after surgery.