10% of all New Zealanders say they have a hearing loss
The survey, NewZealandTrak 2022, found that 10.3% of all New Zealanders have a hearing loss. Among those 18 or older, 12.4% say they have a hearing loss. Among the French aged 74 years or older, more than one in three (36.6%) say they have a hearing loss.
The number of people who think they have a hearing loss is quite similar to surveys that have been carried out in Australia and in many European countries in recent years.
More people use hearing aids
44.4% of those who said that they had a hearing loss used hearing aids. In the survey carried out in 2018, the percentage was 41.6%. This is a growth in the share of users among people with hearing loss of around 8% in four years. Three out of four (74%) of those who use hearing aids use two hearing aids.
Benefits of using hearing aids
In the survey, the users of hearing aids stated that there are many positive impacts of using hearing aids.
Especially communication effectiveness, ability to participate in group activities, social life and relationships at home and at work improve with hearing aids.
The survey also found that:
- Hearing aid owners have a lower risk of being depressed.
- Quality of sleep seems to improve if the hearing impaired use hearing aids.
- Hearing aid owners are less exhausted in the evening.
87% of the working hearing aid owners stated that their hearing aids are useful in the workplace. People with hearing aids also recognise that hearing aids increase the chance of the hearing impaired getting promoted, getting the right job and a higher salary.
95% of hearing aid owners in the survey declared that their hearing aids improve their quality of life in some way.
68% of all hearing aid owners in the survey said they should have gotten their hearing aids sooner. The main reason was missing out on social life.
Hearing test
In the survey, 40% had a hearing test in the last 5 years. Most tests were carried out by audiologists/ audiometrists, followed by family doctors and ENTs.
Reimbursement
79% of the participants in the survey who use hearing aids received some form of 3rd party reimbursement. Among those with hearing loss who do not use hearing aids, only 24% think that that they can receive any 3rd party reimbursement.
About the survey
The EHIMA NewZealandTrak 2022 survey was carried out in cooperation with the Swiss analysis firm Anovum. Around 14,500 people participated in the survey.
Source: www.ehima.com