Abstract
Hearing aids can rehabilitate hearing and improve communications abilities of people with hearing loss for efficient daily living. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with hearing aids use by analyzing data obtained from a survey conducted. The survey sample comprised 380 people with hear-ing loss who received hearing aids under the Universal Health Coverage scheme (UHC) from 2005-2015 in five provinces: Phayao, Samut Prakan, Chonburi, Khon Kaen, and Songkhla. The data were collected via interviews based on a questionnaire. Of the 200 people interviewed in the community, it was found that internal factors such as gender, age, occupation, and economic status were not significant factors related to usage. However, users who were satisfied with their hearing aids significantly used their hearing aids more than those who were not satisfied (adjusted OR = 3.99, 95% CI; 1.09-14.67, p-value = 0.037), and users who came for follow-ups significantly used their hearing aids more than those who did not (adjusted OR = 2.60, 95% CI; 1.22-5.53, p-value = 0.013). Thus, the National Health Security Office should provide hearing aids with improved follow up system to ensure appropriate use of hearing aids as well as to prevent discontinuation of use in the future.
