The aim of the present study was to investigate help-seeking for heari
ng impairment in the elderly, and to compare groups showing dissimilar
help-seeking on their attitude toward hearing loss and hearing aids.
Attitude factors were based on a revised version of the Health Belief
Model, and included beliefs about: the severity of the hearing problem
s, the benefits of a hearing aid, barriers to hearing aid use, and the
opinions of significant others. Hearing threshold levels were determi
ned for a random sample (N = 624) of subjects aged 57 years or older f
rom 12 general practices. Those with a mean loss of 35 dBHL in both ea
rs (23.1%) were considered hearing impaired. Of every four hearing imp
aired subjects, approximately one had not discussed the impairment wit
h his doctor and one had discussed it but did not have a hearing aid t
rial. About 40% of the hearing impaired individuals had a hearing aid,
and relatively few had given up using it (6% of those who had an aid)
. These results showed a higher incidence of help-seeking for hearing
impairment than comparable British studies. After the influence of hea
ring impairment was controlled for, the following relationships betwee
n attitude and help-seeking were found: (1) non-consulters perceived t
heir impairment as relatively inconsequential, most frequently demonst
rated a passive acceptance of hearing problems with increasing age, sa
w least benefits of hearing aid use, and experienced little social pre
ssure to seek help; (2) those who did not try an aid after consulting
their doctor stood out because they saw most stigma-related barriers t
o hearing aid use and felt their significant others agreed with them o
n this negative evaluation of aids; and (3) current users had the most
favourable attitude toward hearing aids.