Objective: This study aimed to explore barriers to hearing aid adoption amongst older adults in mainland China.
Design: Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis.
Study sample: The study included 12 older adults who had seen ENTs and had not adopted hearing aids.
Results: Three overarching themes and ten subthemes were generated to explain why older adults in mainland China do not adopt hearing aids: (1) Desire a cure for hearing loss, (2) Lack of a perceived need for hearing aids, and (3) Negative impressions of, and misconceptions about, hearing aids.
Conclusion: Although barriers are similar to those reported in Western societies, the under-developed hearing healthcare infrastructure, Chinese health beliefs, Chinese culture, and low health literacy play important roles in preventing older adults to adopt hearing aids in mainland China. To identify barriers to hearing aid adoption and address them, hearing health practitioners should learn what older adults know about their hearing loss, how they perceive the effects of hearing loss, and how they feel about hearing aids.
Keywords: Hearing loss; barriers; hearing aid adoption; older adults.