title: What factors influence help-seeking for hearing impairment and hearing aid adoption in older adults?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this review paper was to identify factors that influence older adults' decisions to seek help for hearing impairment and to adopt hearing aids.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search of abstracts within peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 1990 and 2010 was conducted in online bibliographic databases using the keywords: hearing; impair* or loss; seek* or candidate* or applicant* or acquir*; and hearing aid* or help or advice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two articles that were directly relevant to this topic were included in this review.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence suggests that individuals are more likely to seek help for hearing impairment and/or adopt hearing aids if they: (1) have a moderate to severe hearing impairment and self-reported hearing-related activity limitations or participation restrictions; (2) are older; (3) perceive their hearing as poor; (4) consider there to be more benefits than barriers to amplification; and (5) perceive their significant other/s as supportive of hearing rehabilitation. A barrier to help-seeking for hearing impairment and hearing aid adoption appears to be general practitioners' management of age-related hearing impairment.
authors.affiliation: HEARing CRC, Audiology, Hearing and Speech Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hickson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology