Cross-sectional study finds that social loneliness and older age predict hearing aid refusal in presbycusis, highlighting non-audiological barriers to treatment.
Key Points
To evaluate audiological and psychosocial factors that influence hearing aid acceptance versus refusal among adults with presbycusis.
Conducted a cross-sectional study of 57 individuals with presbycusis divided into hearing aid acceptance (n = 37) and refusal (n = 20) groups.
Assessed hearing thresholds alongside psychosocial domains—including depression, emotional loneliness, and social loneliness—using exploratory logistic regression.
Individuals who refused hearing aids were older, had significantly greater hearing loss, and reported significantly higher social loneliness than those who accepted them.
Measures of depression and emotional loneliness did not differ significantly between the acceptance and refusal groups.
Exploratory logistic regression identified older age, male gender, and elevated social loneliness as factors associated with hearing aid refusal.