Understanding Hearing Loss and Barriers to Hearing Health Care Among Korean American Older Adults: A Focus Group Study

Janet S. Choi; Kyoo S. Shim; Kunhwa Kim; Carrie L. Nieman; Sara K. Mamo; Frank R. Lin; Hae Ra Han

doi:10.1177/0733464816663554

Understanding Hearing Loss and Barriers to Hearing Health Care Among Korean American Older Adults: A Focus Group Study

Janet S. Choi, Kyoo S. Shim, Kunhwa Kim, Carrie L. Nieman, Sara K. Mamo, Frank R. Lin, Hae Ra Han

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hearing loss is associated with an accelerated decline in social, cognitive, and physical functioning among older adults. However, little is known about its impact and barriers to hearing health care in any ethnic minorities. The aim of this study was to explore experiences related to hearing loss and barriers to hearing health care among older Korean Americans (KAs). We conducted four focus groups with 19 older KAs with hearing loss and four communication partners. Qualitative content analysis revealed four themes: (a) impact of hearing loss, (b) self-perception of hearing loss, (c) coping strategies for hearing loss, and (d) barriers to hearing health care (price, language, lack of collaborative communications, perceptions about hearing aids, and lack of knowledge). Older KAs were significantly impacted by hearing loss but tended not to seek care due to multiple factors. Culturally tailored hearing interventions are urgently needed to promote hearing health in the KA community.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1344-1367
Number of pages	24
Journal	Journal of Applied Gerontology
Volume	37
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464816663554
State	Published - Nov 1 2018

Keywords

Korean American
hearing aids
hearing health care
hearing loss
immigrant health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Gerontology
Geriatrics and Gerontology

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10.1177/0733464816663554

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title = "Understanding Hearing Loss and Barriers to Hearing Health Care Among Korean American Older Adults: A Focus Group Study",

abstract = "Hearing loss is associated with an accelerated decline in social, cognitive, and physical functioning among older adults. However, little is known about its impact and barriers to hearing health care in any ethnic minorities. The aim of this study was to explore experiences related to hearing loss and barriers to hearing health care among older Korean Americans (KAs). We conducted four focus groups with 19 older KAs with hearing loss and four communication partners. Qualitative content analysis revealed four themes: (a) impact of hearing loss, (b) self-perception of hearing loss, (c) coping strategies for hearing loss, and (d) barriers to hearing health care (price, language, lack of collaborative communications, perceptions about hearing aids, and lack of knowledge). Older KAs were significantly impacted by hearing loss but tended not to seek care due to multiple factors. Culturally tailored hearing interventions are urgently needed to promote hearing health in the KA community.",

keywords = "Korean American, hearing aids, hearing health care, hearing loss, immigrant health",

author = "Choi, {Janet S.} and Shim, {Kyoo S.} and Kunhwa Kim and Nieman, {Carrie L.} and Mamo, {Sara K.} and Lin, {Frank R.} and Han, {Hae Ra}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This manuscript was supported in part by NIH K23DC011279, NIH TL1 TR001078, the Eleanor Schwartz Charitable Foundation, a Triological Society/American College of Surgeons Clinician Scientist Award and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) which is funded in part by from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS or NIH. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2016.",

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AU - Nieman, Carrie L.

AU - Mamo, Sara K.

AU - Lin, Frank R.

AU - Han, Hae Ra

N1 - Funding Information: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This manuscript was supported in part by NIH K23DC011279, NIH TL1 TR001078, the Eleanor Schwartz Charitable Foundation, a Triological Society/American College of Surgeons Clinician Scientist Award and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) which is funded in part by from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS or NIH. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2016.

PY - 2018/11/1

Y1 - 2018/11/1

N2 - Hearing loss is associated with an accelerated decline in social, cognitive, and physical functioning among older adults. However, little is known about its impact and barriers to hearing health care in any ethnic minorities. The aim of this study was to explore experiences related to hearing loss and barriers to hearing health care among older Korean Americans (KAs). We conducted four focus groups with 19 older KAs with hearing loss and four communication partners. Qualitative content analysis revealed four themes: (a) impact of hearing loss, (b) self-perception of hearing loss, (c) coping strategies for hearing loss, and (d) barriers to hearing health care (price, language, lack of collaborative communications, perceptions about hearing aids, and lack of knowledge). Older KAs were significantly impacted by hearing loss but tended not to seek care due to multiple factors. Culturally tailored hearing interventions are urgently needed to promote hearing health in the KA community.

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Understanding Hearing Loss and Barriers to Hearing Health Care Among Korean American Older Adults: A Focus Group Study

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