{"title":"Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Availability across the Spectrum of Human Skin Colors.","authors":"Shade Avery Kirjava, Sam Jones Faulkner","doi":"10.3390/audiolres14020026","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids were recently approved for sale in the United States. Research has shown that consumers prefer hearing devices that match their skin color because these devices are less noticeable. Colorism is discrimination against individuals with relatively darker skin that manifests in \"skin-color\" product offerings as products being offered primarily in relatively lighter colors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study compared images of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-registered over-the-counter hearing aids to a range of human skin colors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most over-the-counter hearing aids are only offered in relatively lighter beige colors. Few over-the-counter hearing aids are available in darker skin colors.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings may represent structural bias, preventing equitable access to darker skin-color OTC hearing aids for individuals with darker skin.</p>","PeriodicalId":44133,"journal":{"name":"Audiology Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10961692/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Audiology Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/audiolres14020026","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids were recently approved for sale in the United States. Research has shown that consumers prefer hearing devices that match their skin color because these devices are less noticeable. Colorism is discrimination against individuals with relatively darker skin that manifests in "skin-color" product offerings as products being offered primarily in relatively lighter colors.
Methods: This study compared images of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-registered over-the-counter hearing aids to a range of human skin colors.
Results: Most over-the-counter hearing aids are only offered in relatively lighter beige colors. Few over-the-counter hearing aids are available in darker skin colors.
Conclusions: These findings may represent structural bias, preventing equitable access to darker skin-color OTC hearing aids for individuals with darker skin.
期刊介绍：
The mission of Audiology Research is to publish contemporary, ethical, clinically relevant scientific researches related to the basic science and clinical aspects of the auditory and vestibular system and diseases of the ear that can be used by clinicians, scientists and specialists to improve understanding and treatment of patients with audiological and neurotological disorders.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
