Spanish Language Preference and Decreased Hearing Aid Uptake among U.S. Adults

Study objective The purpose of this study was to explore the language-associated disparity in hearing aid uptake between Spanish- and English-interviewed adults using nationally representative data. Background Hearing aids improve communication and quality of life among individuals with hearing loss. Despite the benefits of hearing aids, uptake remains low. Disparities related to hearing aid use have been studied in underserved populations, identifying barriers due to race, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic status. Language barriers are a potentially modifiable driver of inequity in hearing healthcare. Study design and method Participants were 8,038 adults from the 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016, or 2017-2020 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Interview language (English or Spanish) was the independent variable, hearing aid use was the dependent variable, and participant age, gender, level of education, income-to-poverty ratio, and hearing loss were covariates. Conclusions Spanish interview status was associated with lower hearing aid uptake, both before and after accounting for audiometric data and socioeconomic factors. The results highlight language access as an important determinant in hearing healthcare access and rehabilitation and support for language concordant care.