Abstract
BackgroundHearing loss remains a neglected public health issue in the rural and agricultural communities in the United States and therefore, promotion of a low-cost hearing screening may be important for these underserved populations. The major objectives of our study were to assess feasibility of a low-cost telephone-administered hearing test in rural Indiana and to identify the challenges, barriers and viable implementation strategies associated with this test. Also, we evaluated whether a focus group session could change the hearing health attitude of rural residents.MethodsWe recruited 126 adults from six rural Indiana counties who participated in study activities in the following order: 1) a pre-focus group demographic, knowledge and attitude survey, 2) a focus group for discussing the feasibility of a telephone-administered hearing screening, 3) a post focus group attitude survey and 4) hearing was screened using an audiometer and self-assessment scale. These activities generated both qualitative and quantitative data, which were subsequently analyzed.ResultsHearing impairment was perceived as an important public health issue. Many participants expressed interests to try the low-cost National Hearing Test (NHT). However, participants recommended NHT to be facilitated by community organizations to provide access to landline phones. The focus group turned out to be an excellent awareness building activity producing significant improvement in hearing health attitudes. Comparison of self and audiometric evaluations indicated underestimation of hearing handicap in our rural study population.ConclusionsThe study results underscore the urgent need for an effective strategy to promote low-cost hearing screening in rural US communities.
Highlights
Hearing loss remains a neglected public health issue in the rural and agricultural communities in the United States and promotion of a low-cost hearing screening may be important for these underserved populations
Agerelated hearing loss is common among all types of populations and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has been associated with occupational noise exposure among rural farmers [11]
Study area and population The study was conducted in six counties of southern Indiana with the help of Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) who have long-standing collaborations with many community organizations such as community service centers, churches, hospitals and clinics located in rural Indiana
Summary
Hearing loss remains a neglected public health issue in the rural and agricultural communities in the United States and promotion of a low-cost hearing screening may be important for these underserved populations. Adult hearing loss in the United States remains neglected as a public health issue [1]. Agerelated hearing loss is common among all types of populations and NIHL has been associated with occupational noise exposure among rural farmers [11]. Many are small or family run and do not offer health awareness programs [11] Due to this health disparity, rural farm workers may not have adequate knowledge on the risks associated with noise exposure or of the value of adequate hearing protection. The perception of hearing loss and hearing impairment may differ between rural farm workers and rural non-farm residents, due to the possibility that farm workers are regularly exposed to hazardous noise and may have been warned about its effects by other workers or workplace training
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