Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Hearing Aids Among the General Public: A Cross-Sectional Survey in...

The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and education demands related to hearing aids among the general public in Southwest China.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 1,239 participants from Southwest China. A self-designed electronic questionnaire was utilized to assess participants' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and education demand patterns with respect to hearing aids.

A total of 48 participants (3.90%) reported that they had "never heard" about hearing aids. A total of 844 participants (68.12%) exhibited a good level of knowledge regarding hearing aids. Factors such as gender, age, education level, profession, self-reported familiarity with hearing aids, monthly income, and willingness to use them significantly influenced the knowledge scores (p < .05). A total of 1,208 participants (97.50%) expressed a willingness to adopt hearing aids. Notably, 1,139 participants (91.90%) preferred to purchase hearing aids from hospitals, with a primary focus on the quality, comfort, and functionality of these devices. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that medical background, higher hearing aid knowledge scores, and a positive inclination toward health education were independent predictors significantly associated with an increased likelihood of hearing aids adoption. A total of 1,051 participants (84.83%) expressed a desire for health education on hearing aids. They preferred to obtain it through "medical staff" (61.02%) or the "Internet" (54.96%).

The general public in this study displayed a basic understanding of and positive attitudes toward the use of hearing aids, and they were eager to obtain professional health education. Therefore, public awareness of hearing aids should be comprehensively improved to better serve patients with hearing loss.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32914130.