Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2025

Author Spotlight: Optimizing EAS with Long Electrodes for Enhanced Cochlear Coverage and Hearing Preservation
Published on: October 11, 2024
Association Between Limited English Proficiency and Hearing Healthcare Use in the United States
Akash S Halagur1,2, Uchechukwu C Megwalu1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, U.S.A.
Objectives:
To determine whether limited English proficiency (LEP) is associated with likelihood of prior audiogram and hearing aid use among US adults with hearing loss.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study of four merged National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles included 12,636 adults with subjective (self-reported) or objective (audiometric) hearing loss. Subjects were classified as LEP if they completed the NHANES survey in a language other than English, or with the help of an interpreter. Likelihood of audiogram among participants with subjective and objective hearing loss, and likelihood of hearing aid use among participants with objective hearing loss were assessed using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression.
Results:
Individuals with LEP were less likely to have undergone audiogram among subjects with subjective (odds ratio [OR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-0.77), and objective (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.65-0.74) hearing loss. The association persisted for those with subjective hearing loss (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72-0.86), and objective hearing loss (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.89) after adjusting for relevant covariates. Individuals with LEP were less likely to use hearing aids (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.84-0.93). This association disappeared (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.04) after adjustment.
Conclusion:
LEP is associated with lower utilization of hearing healthcare services. This may be due to the complex interplay of socioeconomic and language disparities, which may act as barriers to hearing healthcare utilization. Individuals with LEP should be prioritized when designing interventions to improve accessibility to hearing healthcare.
Level Of Evidence:
3 Laryngoscope, 134:5122-5130, 2024.
More Related Videos
06:04Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
11:39Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique
Published on: September 7, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Health Literacy
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Standards of Care I
Language and Cognition