Hearing Aid Use and Its Associated Factors Among Older Adults in Mexico

ObjectiveTo identify factors associated with current hearing aid (HA) use among Mexican adults aged 50 years and older who either use HAs, regardless of self-reported hearing, or do not use HAs but rate their hearing as fair or poor. Materials and methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2021 Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS).The analytic sample included adults aged 50 years and older who reported current HA use or, if they did not use an HA, rated their hearing as fair or poor.Survey-weighted logistic regression accounting for sampling weights, strata, and primary sampling units was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). ResultsA total of 4,660 participants were included, representing a weighted analytic population of 8,024,133 individuals.Overall, 296 participants reported current HA use (unweighted 6.35%; weighted 5.35%, 95% CI: 4.27%-6.68%).Older age (OR 1.05 per year, 95% CI: 1.03-1.08),more years of education (OR 1.07 per year, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13),and belonging to the highest income tertile (OR 2.68, 95% CI: 1.42-5.06)were associated with greater odds of HA use.Rural residence (OR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23-0.92)and poor vision or blindness (OR 0.26, 95% CI: 0.12-0.58)were associated with lower odds of use. ConclusionsCurrent HA use was low among Mexican adults aged 50 years and older included in this analysis.Older age, more years of education, and higher income were associated with greater odds of HA use, whereas rural residence and poor vision or blindness were associated with lower odds.Further studies incorporating objective audiometric assessments are needed to better understand these associations and identify potential barriers to hearing rehabilitation in Mexico.