Factors correlated with hearing aids adherence in older adults: a prospective controlled study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate which factors influence the adherence to hearing aid (HA) use in elderly patients with moderate-to-severe hearing loss.

Methods: This observational, prospective, single-centre study enrolled patients with moderate-to-severe hearing loss. They were evaluated before and 1 year after having either one or two HAs fitted.

Results: A total of 86 patients were enrolled in the study and of these 69.8% (60 of 86; USER group) continued to use their HA at 1 year after fitting; six patients had not continued their use (NON-USERS). The USER group was younger than the NON-USER group, but the difference was not significant. The USER group had a significantly better unaided auditory threshold at baseline than the NON-USER group. HA use resulted in improvements in speech audiometry and auditory threshold. There was also a maintenance of cognitive function in the USER group.

Conclusion: Use of HA for 1 year resulted in improved auditory performance and an absence of a deterioration of cognitive function.Trial registration: This research was retrospectively registered under no. NCT04333043 at ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/) on the 26 March 2020. This research has been registered with the Ethics Committee of the Area Vasta Emilia Nord under number 104, date of approval 17/07/2017.

Keywords: Hearing loss; cognitive functions; daily life impairment.; quality of life.