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. 2023 Jan-Dec:27:23312165231157255.
doi: 10.1177/23312165231157255.

Factors Influencing Hearing Help-Seeking and Hearing Aid Uptake in Adults: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade

Megan Knoetze  1   2 , Vinaya Manchaiah  1   2   3   4   5 , Bopane Mothemela  1   2 , De Wet Swanepoel  1   2   3   6
Affiliations

Factors Influencing Hearing Help-Seeking and Hearing Aid Uptake in Adults: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade

Megan Knoetze et al. Trends Hear. 2023 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

This systematic review examined the audiological and nonaudiological factors that influence hearing help-seeking and hearing aid uptake in adults with hearing loss based on the literature published during the last decade. Peer-reviewed articles published between January 2011 and February 2022 were identified through systematic searches in electronic databases CINAHL, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. The review was conducted and reported according to the PRISMA protocol. Forty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. Seventy (42 audiological and 28 nonaudiological) hearing help-seeking factors and 159 (93 audiological and 66 nonaudiological) hearing aid uptake factors were investigated with many factors reported only once (10/70 and 62/159, respectively). Hearing aid uptake had some strong predictors (e.g., hearing sensitivity) with others showing conflicting results (e.g., self-reported health). Hearing help-seeking had clear nonpredictive factors (e.g., education) and conflicting factors (e.g., self-reported health). New factors included cognitive anxiety associated with increased help-seeking and hearing aid uptake and urban residency and access to financial support with hearing aid uptake. Most studies were rated as having a low level of evidence (67%) and fair quality (86%). Effective promotion of hearing help-seeking requires more research evidence. Investigating factors with conflicting results and limited evidence is important to clarify what factors support help-seeking and hearing aid uptake in adults with hearing loss. These findings can inform future research and hearing health promotion and rehabilitation practices.

Keywords: adoption; hearing aid; hearing loss; help-seeking; systematic review; uptake.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA Flow Diagram of the Selection Process.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of Significant Factors Identified Within Studies That Influence Hearing Help-Seeking for Each Category of Audiological or Nonaudiological Factors.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Number of Significant Factors Identified Within Studies That Influence Hearing Aid Uptake for Each Category of Audiological or Nonaudiological Factors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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