Social Perception of Microtia

The Social Perception of Microtia and Auricular Reconstruction in Children.

Rationale: Microtia is a congenital craniofacial condition characterized by the underdevelopment of the external ear. Children with microtia become aware of their deformity at a young age, and this awareness intensifies in school, where they often face social comparison. This can impact both their mental well-being and social standing. In this process, not only their self-image but also others' perceptions play important roles. Given the significant time children spend with peers, it is crucial to investigate how children of similar ages perceive microtia and whether this perception changes after auricular reconstruction.

Objective: To examine the social perception of children regarding peers with microtia and auricular reconstruction.

Study design: The study is of cross-sectional nature. Study population: The study population consists of primary and secondary school children aged 6 to 18 years old.

Intervention: All children will be shown one of the following photos: a child with a normal ear, a child with preoperative microtia, or a child with a postoperative reconstructed ear. Subsequently, all children will evaluate the photo they have seen using 7 questions based on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from a score of 0 to 10.

Study endpoints: The study includes several endpoints. It will examine children's perception of peers with a normal ear, microtia, or a reconstructed ear in terms of the following social attributes: athleticism, confidence, friendliness, health, intelligence, popularity and willingness to interact. Additionally, it will explore whether there is a difference in the perception of primary school children and secondary school children regarding the above-mentioned social attributes.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Microtia, Congenital; Auricular Reconstruction

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1271

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Provincie Groningen
    • Groningen, Provincie Groningen, Netherlands, 9713 GZ
      • University Medical Center Groningen

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children aged 6-17 years attending primary or secondary schools were eligible for participation

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Attending primary or secondary school

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Children aged 6-17 years were eligible for participation.; Attending primary or secondary school

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in social perception scores	The primary outcome was the difference in social perception scores between the three image groups. Responses will be recorded using a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a more favorable perception of the attribute.	The entire assessment can be completed directly after enrollment and takes a maximum of 5 minutes.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences in social perception scores between primary and secondary school	Secondary analyses examined differences in social perception scores between primary and secondary school students. Responses will be recorded using a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a more favorable perception of the attribute.	The entire assessment can be completed directly after enrollment and takes a maximum of 5 minutes.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Medical Center Groningen
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Myrthe KS Hol, Prof. dr., University Medical Center Groningen

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 4, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 22, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): June 22, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 13, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 23, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Social perception; Microtia; Peer perception; Auricular reconstruction
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Congenital Abnormalities; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Ear Diseases; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Congenital Microtia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25059

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No