An Assessment of Hearing Health Care Needs in Rural West Central and South Alabama
Publication: American Journal of Audiology
Volume 32, Number 3
Pages 487-499
Abstract
Purpose:
Hearing loss has become a significant public health concern because of its association with physical health, cognition, and emotional well-being. Age-related hearing loss is the third leading cause of global years lived with disability after lower back pain and migraine. Among other sensory disorders, hearing loss is ranked first. To help mitigate these health concerns, access to affordable hearing health care across rural and urban communities will be necessary.
Method:
For this study, the needs of rural communities and their residents with hearing loss were explored. Individual interviews and focus group discussions with 26 adults with hearing loss, 14 friends and family of those with hearing loss, and 25 community members who worked and lived in rural communities were conducted.
Results:
Collectively, four themes emerged from qualitative analysis of the comments from all three groups, including Communication and Other Related Hearing Loss Issues, Social and Emotional Issues, Dealing with Hearing Loss, and Addressing Hearing Loss in the Community. Factors associated with the themes were mapped onto the Meikirch Model of Health to determine potential areas of intervention within the individual, society, and environment components of the model.
Conclusion:
Future care mitigating health concerns for adults with hearing loss living in rural communities will involve interprofessional collaboration and increased access to hearing health care.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Anyanwu, C. N. (1988). The technique of participatory research in community development. Community Development Journal, 23(1), 11–15.
Bennett, R. J., Donaldson, S., Kelsall-Foreman, I., Meyer, C., Pachana, N. A., Saulsman, L., Eikelboom, R. H., & Bucks, R. S. (2021). Addressing emotional and psychological problems associated with hearing loss: Perspective of consumer and community representatives. American Journal of Audiology, 30(4), 1130–1138.
Bennett, R. J., Donaldson, S., Mansourian, Y., Olaithe, M., Kelsall-Foreman, I., Badcock, J. C., & Eikelboom, R. H. (2021). Perspectives on mental health screening in the audiology setting: A focus group study involving clinical and nonclinical staff. American Journal of Audiology, 30(4), 980–993.
Bennett, R. J., Kelsall-Foreman, I., Donaldson, S., Olaithe, M., Saulsman, L., & Badcock, J. C. (2021). Exploring current practice, knowledge, and training needs for managing psychosocial concerns in the audiology setting: Perspectives of audiologists, audiology reception staff, and managers. American Journal of Audiology, 30(3), 557–589.
Bennett, R. J., Meyer, C. J., Ryan, B. J., & Eikelboom, R. H. (2020). How do audiologists respond to emotional and psychological concerns raised in the audiology setting? Three case vignettes. Ear and Hearing, 41(6), 1675–1683.
Berenbrok, L. A., Ciemniecki, L., Cremeans, A. A., Albright, R., & Mormer, E. (2021). Pharmacist competencies for over-the-counter hearing aids: A Delphi study. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 61(4), e255–e262.
Bircher, J., & Kuruvilla, S. (2014). Defining health by addressing individual, social, and environmental determinants: New opportunities for health care and public health. Journal of Public Health Policy, 35(3), 363–386.
Brothers, E. B., Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Hughes, P. J., & Friend, M. L. (2022). Audiology, medicine, and pharmacy interprofessional preliminary interviews and discussions: Improving hearing health care in rural Alabama. American Journal of Audiology, 31(3), 656–668.
Carlson, J. A., Sallis, J. F., Conway, T. L., Saelens, B. E., Frank, L. D., Kerr, J., Cain, K. L., & King, A. C. (2012). Interactions between psychosocial and built environment factors in explaining older adults' physical activity. Preventive Medicine, 54(1), 68–73.
Center for American Progress. (2021). The Build Back Better Act would improve health care and lower costs. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-build-back-better-act-would-improve-health-care-and-lower-costs/#:~:text=The%20House%2Dpassed%20Build%20Back,services%20to%20Medicare%20Part%20B
Coco, L., Titlow, K. S., & Marrone, N. (2018). Geographic distribution of the hearing aid dispensing workforce: A teleaudiology planning assessment for Arizona. American Journal of Audiology, 27(3s), 462–473.
Colorafi, K. J., & Evans, B. (2016). Qualitative descriptive methods in health science research. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 9(4), 16–25.
Cosh, S., Helmer, C., Delcourt, C., Robins, T. G., & Tully, P. J. (2019). Depression in elderly patients with hearing loss: Current perspectives. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 14, 1471–1480.
D'Amour, D., Goulet, L., Labadie, J. F., Martín-Rodriguez, L. S., & Pineault, R. (2008). A model and typology of collaboration between professionals in healthcare organizations. BMC Health Services Research, 8(1), Article 188.
English, K., & Archbold, S. (2014). Measuring the effectiveness of an audiological counseling program. International Journal of Audiology, 53(2), 115–120.
English, K., Mendel, L. L., Rojeski, T., & Hornak, J. (1999). Counseling in audiology, or learning to listen. American Journal of Audiology, 8(1), 34–39.
Federal Trade Commission. (2022). FTC comment to Food and Drug Administration supports agency's proposed rule on establishing over-the-counter hearing aids Hearing Aids. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2022/01/ftc-comment-food-drug-administration-supports-agencys-proposed
Fischer, M. E., Schubert, C. R., Nondahl, D. M., Dalton, D. S., Huang, G. H., Keating, B. J., Klein, B. E., Klein, R., Tweed, T. S., & Cruickshanks, K. J. (2015). Subclinical atherosclerosis and increased risk of hearing impairment. Atherosclerosis, 238(2), 344–349.
Fisher, E. B., Brownson, R. C., Heath, A. C., Luke, D. A., & Sumner, W., II. (Eds.). (2004). Cigarette smoking (Vol. 2). American Psychological Association.
Food and Drug Administration. (2021). FDA issues landmark proposal to improve access to hearing aid technology for millions of Americans. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-landmark-proposal-improve-access-hearing-aid-technology-millions-americans
GBD 2019 Hearing Loss Collaborators. (2021). Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990–2019: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 397(10278), 996–1009.
Green, L. W., Orleans, C. T., Ottoson, J. M., Cameron, R., Pierce, J. P., & Bettinghaus, E. P. (2006). Inferring strategies for disseminating physical activity policies, programs, and practices from the successes of tobacco control. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31(Suppl. 4), S66–S81.
Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Hyams, A., Yang, X., & Parton, J. (2018). Hearing loss and social support in urban and rural communities. International Journal of Audiology, 57(8), 610–617.
Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Reed, P., & Cheimariou, S. (2018). Positive social interaction and hearing loss in older adults living in rural and urban communities. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61(8), 2138–2145.
Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Threadgill, M., Yang, X., & Phillips, F. (2020). Access to hearing health care, geographical residency, and quality of life in adults with and without hearing loss. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 31(7), 485–495.
Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Yuk, M. C., & Yang, X. (2021). Accessibility to hearing healthcare in rural and urban populations of Alabama: Perspectives and a preliminary roadmap for addressing inequalities. Journal of Community Health, 46(4), 719–727.
Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288.
Hyams, A. V., Hay-McCutcheon, M., & Scogin, F. (2018). Hearing and quality of life in older adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(10), 1874–1883.
Ingram, M., Marrone, N., Sanchez, D. T., Sander, A., Navarro, C., de Zapien, J. G., Colina, S., & Harris, F. (2016). Addressing hearing health care disparities among older adults in a US–Mexico border community. Frontiers in Public Health, 4, 169.
Konrad-Martin, D., Reavis, K. M., Austin, D., Reed, N., Gordon, J., McDermott, D., & Dille, M. F. (2015). Hearing impairment in relation to severity of diabetes in a veteran cohort. Ear and Hearing, 36(4), 381–394.
LaFave, S. E., Suen, J. J., Seau, Q., Bergman, A., Fisher, M. C., Thorpe, R. J., Jr., & Szanton, S. L. (2022). Racism and older Black Americans' health: A systematic review. Journal of Urban Health, 99(1), 28–54.
Laplante-Lévesque, A., Pichora-Fuller, M. K., & Gagné, J. P. (2006). Providing an Internet-based audiological counselling programme to new hearing aid users: A qualitative study. International Journal of Audiology, 45(12), 697–706.
Lin, F. R., Yaffe, K., Xia, J., Xue, Q. L., Harris, T. B., Purchase-Helzner, E., Satterfield, S., Ayonayon, H. N., Ferrucci, L., & Simonsick, E. M. (2013). Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 173(4), 293–299.
Lor, M., Thao, S., & Misurelli, S. M. (2021). Review of hearing loss among racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(9), 859–876.
MacQueen, K. M., McLellan-Lemal, E., Bartholow, K., & Milstein, B. (2008). Team-based codebook development: Structure, process, and agreement. In G. Guest and K. M. MacQueen (Eds.), Handbook for team-based qualitative research. AltaMira Press. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip078/2007002042.html
Marrone, N., Ingram, M., Somoza, M., Jacob, D. S., Sanchez, A., Adamovich, S., & Harris, F. P. (2017). Interventional audiology to address hearing health care disparities: Oyendo Bien pilot study. Seminars in Hearing, 38(02), 198–211.
Matsudo, S. M., Matsudo, V. R., Araujo, T. L., Andrade, D. R., Andrade, E. L., de Oliveira, L. C., & Braggion, G. F. (2003). The Agita São Paulo program as a model for using physical activity to promote health. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 14(4), 265–272.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Hearing health care for adults: Priorities for improving access and affordability.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2017). Hearing loss increases with age. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/hearing-loss-increases-with-age
Nieman, C. L., Marrone, N., Mamo, S. K., Betz, J., Choi, J. S., Contrera, K. J., Thorpe, R. J., Jr., Gitlin, L. N., Tanner, E. K., Han, H. R., Szanton, S. L., & Lin, F. R. (2017). The Baltimore HEARS pilot study: An affordable, accessible, community-delivered hearing care intervention. The Gerontologist, 57(6), 1173–1186.
Nieman, C. L., Marrone, N., Szanton, S. L., Thorpe, R. J., Jr., & Lin, F. R. (2016). Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in hearing health care among older Americans. Journal of Aging and Health, 28(1), 68–94.
Planey, A. M. (2019). Audiologist availability and supply in the United States: A multi-scale spatial and political economic analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 222, 216–224.
Pronk, M., Deeg, D. J. H., & Kramer, S. E. (2013). Hearing status in older persons: A significant determinant of depression and loneliness? Results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. American Journal of Audiology, 22(2), 316–320.
Ratanjee-Vanmali, H., Swanepoel, D. W., & Laplante-LÕvesque, A. (2018). Characteristics, behaviours and readiness of persons seeking hearing healthcare online. International Journal of Audiology, 58(2), 107–115.
Sanchez, D., Adamovich, S., Ingram, M., Harris, F. P., de Zapien, J., Sanchez, A., Colina, S., & Marrone, N. (2017). The potential in preparing community health workers to address hearing loss. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 28(06), 562–574.
Suen, J. J., Marrone, N., Han, H. R., Lin, F. R., & Nieman, C. L. (2019). Translating public health practices: Community-based approaches for addressing hearing health care disparities. Seminars in Hearing, 40(01), 37–48.
Tokat, T., Müderris, T., Bozkurt, E. B., Ergun, U., Aysel, A., & Catli, T. (2021). Quality of life in older adults with cochlear implantation: Can it be equal to that of healthy older adults? Journal of Audiology & Otology, 25(3), 138–145.
Van Zyl, M., Swanepoel, D. W., & Myburgh, H. C. (2018). Modernising speech audiometry: Using a smartphone application to test word recognition. International Journal of Audiology, 57(8), 561–569.
Wallerstein, N., & Duran, B. (2010). Community-based participatory research contributions to intervention research: The intersection of science and practice to improve health equity. American Journal of Public Health, 100(Suppl. 1), S40–S46.
World Health Organization. (1986). Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion: First International Conference on Health Promotion. https://www.healthpromotion.org.au/images/ottawa_charter_hp.pdf
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
History
- Received: Sep 20, 2022
- Revised: Dec 27, 2022
- Accepted: Mar 20, 2023
- Published online: May 30, 2023
- Published in issue: Sep 6, 2023
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Article Metrics
View all metricsCitations
Download article citation data for:
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.
Citing Literature
- Marcia J. Hay-McCutcheon, Abigail Hubbard, Emma B. Brothers, Kerstin Straub, Rebecca S. Allen, Claudia Hardy, Nancy Tye-Murray, Development and Implementation of an Aural Rehabilitation Program Using Community Health Workers in Rural Alabama, Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 10.1044/2024_PERSP-24-00083, 9, 5, (1367-1376), (2024).
View Options
Sign In Options
ASHA member? If so, log in with your ASHA website credentials for full access.
Member Login