Media Use by Older Adults With Hearing Loss: An Exploratory Survey
Vinaya Manchaiah1,2, Monica L Bellon-Harn1, Rebecca J Kelly-Campbell3
1Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX.
American Journal of Audiology
|April 30, 2020
Summary
Older adults with hearing loss frequently use the internet for health information but trust healthcare professionals more. Professionals should guide patients toward credible online hearing health resources.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Gerontology
- Health Communication
Background:
- Increasing trend of individuals seeking health information online.
- Need to understand media consumption patterns among older adults with hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the media usage habits of older adults experiencing hearing loss.
- To identify preferred sources for hearing health information among this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey design.
- 556 older adults with hearing loss (Hearing Tracker website users) completed a survey.
- Data analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.
Main Results:
- The Internet (54%) and health professionals (34%) were primary sources for hearing health information.
- Health professionals' information was rated higher for reliability and decision-making importance than internet sources.
- Facebook and YouTube were the most used social media platforms, though rated less favorably for information quality.
Conclusions:
- Older adults with hearing loss utilize diverse electronic media for health information.
- Trust in hearing health care professionals remains paramount for this population.
- Healthcare providers must guide patients to reliable online and social media hearing health information.
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