Hearing Aid Use and Satisfaction in Young Australian Adults with Severe to Profound Hearing Loss

The primary aim of the present research was to investigate factors affecting amplification use and satisfaction in young Australian adults with severe to profound hearing impairment. Opinions were gathered from 57 subjects (40 male and 17 female), with a mean age of 23.6 years, through self-administration of the Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Use in Adults (FAHA) questionnaire. A significant difference in opinions between those who wore hearing aids daily and those who did not was noted for 10 of the 49 questionnaire statements. The findings suggested that there are a number of factors that impact on amplification use in young Australian adults with severe to profound hearing impairment. These related to self-perceived aided benefit, services and costs, hearing aid performance, locus of control, and the 'hearing aid effect'. It is hoped that these findings have provided valuable insight into potential areas for improvement in audiological and social service provision for this population.