Handling of hearing aids by older adults: the gap between knowing and doing

Almeida, Tatiane Franciele de; Veloso, Giovana Fochezato; Lüders, Débora; Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Araújo, Cristiano Miranda de; Fidêncio, Vanessa Luisa Destro

doi:10.1590/2317-6431-2025-3056pt

person Tatiane Franciele de Almeida

acquired, analyzed, interpreted the data · drafted the manuscript

schoolPrograma de Pós-graduação em Saúde da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná – UTP – Curitiba (PR), Brasil.

0009-0005-0986-9022

person Giovana Fochezato Veloso

interpreted the data · drafted the manuscript

schoolClínica de Fonoaudiologia, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná – UTP – Curitiba (PR), Brasil.

0009-0008-8830-8187

person Débora Lüders

wrote the manuscript · approved the final version to be submitted for publication

schoolPrograma de Pós-graduação em Saúde da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná – UTP – Curitiba (PR), Brasil.

0000-0001-9796-0734

person Camila de Castro Corrêa

analyzed and interpreted the data · drafted the manuscript

schoolUniversidade Vale do Rio Doce – UNIVALE – Governador Valadares (MG), Brasil.

0000-0001-5460-3120

person Cristiano Miranda de Araújo

analyzed the data · drafted the manuscript

schoolPrograma de Pós-graduação em Saúde da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná – UTP – Curitiba (PR), Brasil.

0000-0003-1325-4248

person Vanessa Luisa Destro Fidêncio

conceived and designed the study · analyzed and interpreted the data · drafted the manuscript · approved the final version to be submitted for publication · provided scientific supervision for the work

schoolPrograma de Pós-graduação em Saúde da Comunicação Humana, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná – UTP – Curitiba (PR), Brasil.

0000-0003-2632-5666

Conflict of interests:

No.

Corresponding author: Vanessa Luisa Destro Fidêncio. E-mail:
vanessa.destrof@gmail.com

Editor-in-Chief:

Renata Mota Mamede Carvallo.

Associate Editor:

Isabela Hoffmeister Menegotto.

Varables		Median (Q25 - Q75)	Minimum	Maximum	p value *
Age	Group A	79.5 (73.0 - 81.3)	62	89	0.104
	Group B	74.0 (69.3 - 77.0)	60	83	0.104
	Total	75.5 (70.5 - 80.0)	60	89	-
HASK (K)	Group A	32.2 (22.5 - 36.5)	3.30	50.0	0.013
	Group B	41.6 (33.8 - 50.0)	23.3	58.6	0.013
	Total	34.9 (30.0 - 44.1)	3.30	58.6	-
HASK (S)	Group A	31.7 (23.7 - 37.3)	3.20	41.9	0.044
	Group B	39.3 (32.3 - 42.2)	14.7	50.8	0.044
	Total	36.0 (27.0 - 39.5)	3.20	50.8	-

		Gender	Median	Minimum	Maximum	p value *
		Gender	(Q25 - Q75)	Minimum	Maximum	p value *
HASK	Knowledge	Female	40.0	20	56.6	0.158
		Female	(30.5 - 49.0)	20	56.6
		Male	33.3	3.30	58.6
		Male	(23.3 - 37.7)	3.30	58.6
	Skill	Female	36.0	11.4	50.8	0.950
		Female	(28.1 - 39.3)	11.4	50.8
		Male	36.0	3.20	43.3
		Male	(25.9 - 40.8)	3.20	43.3

_Variables	1	2	3
01. Age	-	-	-
02. Time length of the adjustment period	-0.114	-	-
03. HASK (K)	-0.359	0.319	-
04. HASK (S)	-0.128	0.215	0.710

Topic	Sub-item	Complete the task
Topic	Sub-item	No	With difficulty	Yes
Hearing-aid removal	Remove from the ear	0%	20%	80%
Battery compartment opening	Open the battery compartment	10%	6.6%	83.3%
Hearing- aid battery change	Remove the old battery	10%	33.3%	56.6%
	Remove the battery sticky label	20%	10%	70%
	Insert the battery in the hearing aid	10%	16.6%	73.3%
Hearing-aid cleaning	Olive or mold/capsule opening (with accessory or washing)	40%	13.3%	46.6%
	Microphone (with brush)	96.6%	0%	3.3%
	Device body (with cloth)	66.6%	16.6%	16.6%
Left vs Right	Know L from R	20%	20%	60%
Hearing-aid fitting	Insert the hearing aid in the RE	11.5%	15.3%	73%
	Capsule or mold are correctly fitted in the RE	11.5%	11.5%	77%
	Insert the hearing aid in the LE	6.8%	20.6%	72.4%
	Capsule or mold are correctly fitted in the LE	10.3%	10.3%	79.3%
Volume change	Turn up or turn down the volume	23.3%	10%	66.6%
Telephone use	Place the telephone in the correct position with the hearing aid	64.2%	21.4%	14.2%

Feedback problem solving	Verify if the olive/mold/capsule is properly fitted	71.4%	14.2%	14.2%
Problem solving	Verify microphone obstruction	90%	0%	10%
Problem solving	Change wax filter	80%	0%	20%

[TFN100] ^*
Mann-Whitney Test, considering p<0.05

[2] Subtitle: HASK = Hearing Aid Skills and Knowledge Test; K = Knowledge; S = Skill; Q = Quartile; Group A = time length of the adjustment period to the device between one and 29 months. Group B = time length of the adjustment period to the device between 29 and 180 months

Handling of hearing aids by older adults: the gap between knowing and doing

ABSTRACT