TY - JOUR
T1 - Addressing Hearing Health Care Disparities among Older Adults in a US-Mexico Border Community
AU - Ingram, Maia
AU - Marrone, Nicole
AU - Sanchez, Daisey Thalia
AU - Sander, Alicia
AU - Navarro, Cecilia
AU - de Zapien, Jill Guernsey
AU - Colina, Sonia
AU - Harris, Frances
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2016 Ingram, Marrone, Sanchez, Sander, Navarro, de Zapien, Colina and Harris.
PY - 2016/8/15
Y1 - 2016/8/15
N2 - Hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and impairment in daily living activities. Access to hearing health care has broad implications for healthy aging of the U.S. population. This qualitative study investigated factors related to the socio-ecological domains of hearing health in a U.S.–Mexico border community experiencing disparities in access to care. A multidisciplinary research team partnered with community health workers (CHWs) from a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in designing the study. CHWs conducted interviews with people with hearing loss (n = 20) and focus groups with their family/friends (n = 27) and with members of the community-at-large (n = 47). The research team conducted interviews with FQHC providers and staff (n = 12). Individuals experienced depression, sadness, and social isolation, as well as frustration and even anger regarding communication. Family members experienced negative impacts of deteriorating communication, but expressed few coping strategies. There was general agreement across data sources that hearing loss was not routinely addressed within primary care and assistive hearing technology was generally unaffordable. Community members described stigma related to hearing loss and a need for greater access to hearing health care and broader community education. Findings confirm the causal sequence of hearing impairment on quality of life aggravated by socioeconomic conditions and lack of access to hearing health care. Hearing loss requires a comprehensive and innovative public health response across the socio-ecological framework that includes both individual communication intervention and greater access to hearing health resources. CHWs can be effective in tailoring intervention strategies to community characteristics.
AB - Hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and impairment in daily living activities. Access to hearing health care has broad implications for healthy aging of the U.S. population. This qualitative study investigated factors related to the socio-ecological domains of hearing health in a U.S.–Mexico border community experiencing disparities in access to care. A multidisciplinary research team partnered with community health workers (CHWs) from a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in designing the study. CHWs conducted interviews with people with hearing loss (n = 20) and focus groups with their family/friends (n = 27) and with members of the community-at-large (n = 47). The research team conducted interviews with FQHC providers and staff (n = 12). Individuals experienced depression, sadness, and social isolation, as well as frustration and even anger regarding communication. Family members experienced negative impacts of deteriorating communication, but expressed few coping strategies. There was general agreement across data sources that hearing loss was not routinely addressed within primary care and assistive hearing technology was generally unaffordable. Community members described stigma related to hearing loss and a need for greater access to hearing health care and broader community education. Findings confirm the causal sequence of hearing impairment on quality of life aggravated by socioeconomic conditions and lack of access to hearing health care. Hearing loss requires a comprehensive and innovative public health response across the socio-ecological framework that includes both individual communication intervention and greater access to hearing health resources. CHWs can be effective in tailoring intervention strategies to community characteristics.
KW - aging
KW - community health workers
KW - community-based participatory research
KW - health disparities
KW - hearing loss
KW - socio-ecological model
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019426519&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85019426519&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2016.00169
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2016.00169
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85019426519
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 4
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 169
ER -