Effect of social support and social network on the risk of hearing aids abandonment among older adults with hearing loss

Hearing aids are the most widely used rehabilitation strategy for age-related hearing loss, yet adherence has historically been low. Public policies that provide hearing aids have been implemented in both developed and developing countries, emphasizing the importance of identifying factors associated with hearing aid abandonment. To determine the effect of generic and specific social support on the risk of early hearing aid abandonment in older adults who benefit from a public policy for hearing aid provision in Chile. A cohort study was conducted with adults aged 65–85 years who received hearing aids at a public hospital in Chile. A total of 355 patients were randomly selected and, after providing informed consent, were visited at home for the assessment. We assessed specific informational support for hearing aid use, economic support for device maintenance, and general emotional and social support following device fitting. The social network was evaluated in terms of size, closeness, and contact frequency. Time to hearing aid abandonment was analyzed using flexible parametric survival models. Overall, 21.7% of participants abandoned their hearing aids. Receiving financial assistance was associated with a lower abandonment risk (HR = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.23–0.85; p = 0.014). Scoring above the median on the MOS emotional support subscale also reduced abandonment risk (HR = 0.34; 95%CI: 0.25–0.85; p = 0.013). Household composition (i.e., closeness) and contact frequency both affected device abandonment. Economic and emotional support, as well as social network closeness and contact frequency, affect early abandonment. Involving close relatives is essential for monitoring hearing aid use.