Download Is Australia Listening?

Is Australia
Listening?
at t i t u d e s t o h e a r i n g l o s s
Foreword
Australian Hearing’s Health Report 2008
Foreword
3
Snapshot of Results
4
What causes hearing loss?
6
Our exposure to loud noise
7
Experiences of tinnitus
13
Protecting our ears
14
Perceptions of our own hearing
15
Getting our hearing checked
16
Attitudes to hearing aids
17
Living with hearing loss
19
Who is affected by hearing loss?
21
Looking ahead
22
About Australian Hearing
24
Hearing loss is predicted to affect one in
four Australians by 2050 and currently costs
the economy in excess of $11.75bn per
annum.1 Because of this growing problem,
we recognised a need to assess Australia’s
attitudes to noise and hearing loss.
Noise is becoming an increasingly popular
topic, as society starts to see the impact of
noisy lifestyles on physical and mental health.
So, what noise do we expose ourselves to? Are
we aware of the damage we may be causing
to our hearing? And if so, how (if at all) do we
modify our behaviour?
In addition to the general public’s interest
in damage to their future hearing caused
by today’s activities, the problem of hearing
loss is already very real among our ageing
population. Over 60 per cent of people in their
60s suffer from hearing loss and many would
benefit from hearing aids. While hearing aids
are becoming more widely accepted, there are
still misconceptions and negative stereotypes
attached to these devices, despite the benefits
they provide from ever evolving technology.
1
“
As baby boomers move into their 60s,
Australian Hearing is trying to educate people
about hearing loss and demonstrate how
today’s technology can provide excellent
outcomes for people who can’t hear well. We
also want young people to be aware of the
damage that overexposure to loud noise can
cause later in life.
This report represents our first survey into
Australian’s perceptions and behaviours
regarding healthy hearing.
About the survey
One thousand Australian adults were
interviewed via an online survey where they
were asked various questions relating to their
perceptions of hearing loss, hearing aids and
their exposure to potentially harmful noise
levels. The study was conducted by Quantum
Market Research on behalf of Australian
Hearing, the country’s largest hearing
service provider.
Participants were surveyed for 10 minutes
online. The sampled included males and
females from all adult age groups, all states
including both metropolitan and regional areas
and all socioeconomic groups.
Access Economics: Listen Hear! The economic impact and cost of hearing loss in Australia, February 2006
As baby boomers move into their 60s, Australian Hearing is
trying to educate people about hearing loss and demonstrate
how today’s technology can provide excellent outcomes for
people who can’t hear well.
2
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
”
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
3
•Most Australians think that loud noise
is the major cause of hearing loss.
•Listening to loud music through
headphones is thought to be more
detrimental to hearing than other sources
of leisure noise.
•Despite this, more than two thirds of
respondents said they listen to music
through headphones regularly and 60 per
cent of these people often have the volume
above safe levels.
•Nearly half of younger Australians (18 –
34 year olds) said they go to noisy bars
and pubs and listen to music through
headphones at least once a week.
•One quarter of younger Australians (18 –
24 year olds) don’t realise that once your
hearing is damaged, it cannot be restored.
Snapshot
•Just over half the population actively
protect their hearing by avoiding noisy
places, limiting length of exposure to loud
noise or limiting the volume of music
played through headphones.
•Forty-one per cent of people believed their
hearing was ‘very good’ or ‘almost perfect’
while one quarter believed their hearing was
below average.
•About three quarters of older Australians
(55 plus) have had their hearing checked,
and more than one third of these people
have done so in the past year.
“
Sixty per cent of
Australians reported
suffering from noticeable
tinnitus, with prevalence
higher among younger
Australians (18 – 34
year olds).
”
•Younger Australians (44 years old and
younger) associated hearing loss and
hearing aids with negative words, like
“old”, “ugly” and “deaf”. Older Australians
chose softer words and 73 per cent of
those aged over 65 were willing to consider
wearing a hearing aid.
•Four in five Australians reportedly know
someone with a hearing impairment.
•The group identified as most likely to have
a hearing loss was the elderly, however
the next most likely group identified
was teenagers.
of Results
4
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
5
What causes
Hearing Loss?
Most Australians believe industrial machinery
and loud music are the major causes of hearing
loss. Seventy-one per cent of Australians
believe that listening to loud music through
headphones will have the greatest negative
impact on a person’s hearing compared to
listening to music in other ways.
Two in five Australians think that everyday
noise causes hearing loss. In reality, exposure
to low and moderate everyday noise does not
cause hearing loss. However, damage due
to noise exposure is cumulative. This means
the higher the noise level and the longer the
exposure, the greater the damage.
Causes of hearing loss
What do you think are the major causes of hearing loss?
Working with industrial machinery
74
Exposure to everyday noise
45
Poor ear hygiene
22
Old age/degeneration
6
Genetics/genes/born deaf
5
Other
7
0
20
40
60
80
100
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
Greatest impact on a person’s hearing
Which do you think has the greatest negative impact on a person’s hearing?
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
80
Loud Noise
Exposure to loud music
The most significant single cause of hearing
loss in Australia is exposure to loud sounds.
There is evidence of damage due to noise
in the measured hearing thresholds of 37
per cent of Australians 15 years and older.
Although most Australians appreciate that loud
sounds could damage their hearing, one in five
still frequently attend loud venues or listen to
music through headphones.
Of those 71 per cent of Australians who do use
headphones or headsets to listen to music, 96
per cent do so for less than three hours a day
on average. Alarmingly, almost two in three (60
per cent) of those who listen to music through
headphones sometimes have the volume so
loud that people usually have to shout to be
heard, indicating that it’s too loud and could
be causing damage.
81
Exposure to loud music
Our Exposure to
If you need to raise your voice or shout to be
heard in background noise, then the noise is
too loud.
In terms of frequency, one in five Australian
adults claim that they are exposed to
unbearably loud noise at least once a week.
Most Australians (7 in 10) go to noisy
venues like bars and listen to music through
headphones, but not surprisingly, younger
Australians are more likely to do so. Nearly half
of 18 to 34 year old Australians go to noisy
bars and pubs and/or listen to music through
headphones at least once a week.
Encouragingly, nearly half of the population
stated that they would only be exposed to
unbearably loud noise once or twice a year at
most. However, the definition of “unbearable”
is subjective to each respondent.
“
Generally speaking, the majority of
Australians appreciate that loud noise
has the potential to lead to hearing
damage. Nearly half of Australians
(47 per cent) thought that there would
be a major impact on hearing in the
long term when exposed to loud noise.
”
71
70
60
50
40
30
20
16
7
10
3
4
Listening to
loud music in
an open space
(eg park or
garden or open
air concert)
Not sure
0
Listening to
loud music
through
headphones or
in your ear
6
Is Australia Listening?
Listening to
loud music in
an enclosed
space (eg car or
small room)
australian hearing
Listening to
loud music in a
large space (eg
hall, theatre or
music venue)
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
7
Awareness of the
consequences of noise
While four in five Australian adults are aware
that once damaged or impaired, hearing cannot
be restored to its original state, 26 per cent
of young Australians (18 to 24 year olds)
don’t know this. This awareness grows, with
age; while 67 per cent of 18 to 24 year old
Australians were aware of this, 87 per cent of
65 plus year olds knew this fact.
“
However, a significant proportion (15 per cent)
of younger Australians (18 to 24 year olds)
claim they don’t consider that loud noise may
be damaging their hearing. With age comes
the acknowledgement that loud noise may
have a negative impact on hearing. Only one in
four Australians aged below 45 thought there
would be a major impact on their hearing from
exposure to loud noise, compared to 40 per
cent of those above the age of 45.
When asked whether noise damages hearing in the
short, medium or long term, Australians are more likely
to associate loud noise with short term or long term
damage. Fewer Australians felt that there was medium
term damage through exposure to loud noise.
8
Is Australia Listening?
”
australian hearing
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
9
One in four Australians believe that loud noise
will have a major impact on a person’s hearing
in the short term. However, 18 to 24 year old
Australians were least likely to identify the link
between loud noise and short term hearing
damage. Younger Australians consistently
‘downplayed’ the impact of loud noise on
hearing, whether it be in the short, medium
or long term.
Overall, the most glaring results in this
research are the awareness, perceptions and
behaviours of young Australians in relation to
healthy hearing. The severity and permanency
of the impact of loud music and venues to their
hearing has not yet been accepted by this
age group.
Frequency of using headphones or headsets
How often do you listen to music or other recordings through headphones or headsets directly in your ears?
Frequency of exposure to noise
25
20
13
10
8
8
7
6
5
5
4
0
More than
once
a week
Once a
week
Every 2-3
weeks
Once a
month
Every 2-3
months
Every 4-6
months
Once or
twice a
year
Less than
once a
year
Never
24
25
Time spent listening through headphones or headsets
20
On a typical day, for how long would you listen through headphones or headsets?
14
60
12
10
10
10
10
8
8
7
5
0
More than
once
a week
Once a
week
Every 2-3
weeks
Once a
month
Every 2-3
months
Every 4-6
months
Once or
twice a
year
Less than
once a
year
Never
% of Respondents (n=411)
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
20
15
How often are you exposed to noise that becomes unbearable?
15
29
30
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
A closer look...
58
50
38
40
30
20
10
Frequency of attending noisy pubs and bars
0
How often do you frequent noisy places (bars or pubs, clubs, rock concerts) where you have to shout
to be heard over the music being played?
15
9
10
7
10
10
9
8
5
More than
once
a week
Once a
week
Every 2-3
weeks
Once a
month
Every 2-3
months
Every 4-6
months
Once or
twice a
year
Less than
once a
year
Never
40
40
30
20
12
10
0
Yes, all the time
Is Australia Listening?
More than 5 hours
48
50
% of Respondents (n=411)
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
17
0
10
More than 3 hours
and up to 5 hours
When listening through headphones or headsets, would someone need to shout in order for you to hear them?
20
5
Between 1-3 hours
2
Volume of headphones/headsets
24
25
Less than an hour
2
australian hearing
Yes, sometimes
No, never
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
11
Experience of
9
15
% of Respondents
80
42
45
60
47
2
3
2
7
43
45
32
Tinnitus can be described as a symptom
resulting from a range of causes, including
exposure to excessive noise.
40
20
45
18-24
(n=84)
25-34
(n=184)
60
54
47
39
51
0
Yes, definitely
35-44
(n=182)
Possibly
45-54
(n=183)
No
55-64
(n=185)
65+
(n=182)
Not sure
Perceived impact of loud noise
To what extent do you think exposure to loud noise affects a person’s hearing in the short, medium and long term?
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
50
47
35
30
28
27
27
20
18
13
10
3
4
4
2
4
5
0
To a major extent
Short-term damage
To a moderate extent
To a mild extent
Medium-term damage
Not at all
Not sure
Long-term damage
Perceived impact of loud noise
Are you aware that once damaged or impaired your hearing cannot be restored to its original state?
100
% of Respondents
80
7
26
8
16
7
8
10
7
11
6
60
40
85
83
76
82
7
6
87
67
20
0
18-24
(n=84)
Yes
12
Is Australia Listening?
25-34
(n=184)
No
australian hearing
35-44
(n=182)
45-54
(n=183)
Not sure
55-64
(n=185)
This research asked if respondents had ever
experienced tinnitus, often referred to as a
ringing in the ears. Almost two in three (60 per
cent) Australians have suffered from noticeable
tinnitus and, alarmingly, this was more
prevalent in younger Australians (18 to 34
years old). Seventy per cent of 18 to 34 years
olds have experienced tinnitus compared to 50
per cent of those above 55. This may reflect a
lifestyle aspect, with younger Australians more
likely to attend bars, pubs and listen to music
through headphones.
Tinnitus actually occurs in 100 per cent of
people and is a natural phenomenon. The
classic research studies on tinnitus asks young
people with perfect hearing to enter a sound
proof booth and write on a piece of paper what
they hear. They describe what is commonly
known of as tinnitus, that is a ringing or
buzzing sound. These are people who said they
did not have ‘tinnitus’.
44
39
40
Tinnitus
65+
(n=182)
In our research, one in four of those who report
that they experience tinnitus, say they have a
ringing in their ears at least once a week, while
nearly two in five Australians said they would
experience tinnitus no more than twice a year.
One third of tinnitus sufferers aged 55 plus
experienced ringing in their ears more than
once a week. Typically, tinnitus lasts for less
than an hour for most sufferers (54 per cent),
but for some it can last more than 24 hours
(10 per cent).
Ringing ears after exposure to loud noise
means that the noise level was loud enough to
have caused damage.
Although younger Australians were more likely
to experience tinnitus, as we look at the data
by age, older Australians were more likely to
suffer100
from it more frequently. Sixty-seven per
cent of those aged
report that36
28
31 above 55 years
80
they suffer
from tinnitus more than once a
week, compared to only 16 per cent of 18 to
60olds. And of those who have suffered
34 year
from tinnitus, about half (54 per cent) claim
that it 40
lasts less69than an hour, 72
whilst one in 64
10 report that their tinnitus usually lasts more
20
than a day.
40
% of Respondents
1
5
4
100
51
60
Hearing0loss is sometimes accompanied
18-24
25-34
35-44
by tinnitus. It may
go and can (n=182)
(n=84) come and(n=184)
be aggravated by other loud continuous or
No by loud
impulsive noise. Yes
It can be triggered
noise and may be an indication of ear damage.
49
45-54
(n=183)
5
55-64
(n=185)
6
(n=
Experience of tinnitus
Have you ever experienced ringing in the ears (called ‘tinnitus’)?
100
% of Respondents
% (n=1,000)
of Respondents
When you are exposed to loud noise, do you consider that you may be damaging your hearing?
28
31
20
80
20
36
40
48
51
10
52
49
20
60
15
40
72
69
64
10
10
20
60
8
8
5
05
18-24
(n=84)
0
25-34
(n=184)
Yes
More than
once
a week
Once a
week
35-44
(n=182)
45-54
(n=183)
No
Every 2-3
weeks
55-64
(n=185)
Once a
month
Every 2-3
months
65+
(n=182)
Every 4-6
months
Frequency of experiencing tinnitus
Once or
twice a
year
How often would you experience ringing in the ears?
20
% of Respondents (n=602)
Volume of headphones/headsets
20
20
18
15
10
10
10
8
8
5
5
0
More than
once
a week
Once a
week
Every 2-3
weeks
Once a
month
Every 2-3
months
australian hearing
Every 4-6
months
Once or
twice a
year
Less than
once a
year
Is Australia Listening?
13
L
Perceptions
Protectingour Ears
The most common methods Australians use
to protect their hearing are avoiding places
with loud noise (57 per cent), limiting the
time of exposure to loud noise (56 per cent) or
limiting the volume of music played through
headphones (53 per cent). On a general level,
about 30 per cent of Australians wore ear
protection such as ear muffs or plugs to protect
their hearing.
“
Analysis by age shows that
younger Australians are less
likely to avoid noisy places
for the sake of their hearing,
but are more inclined to
control the volume of their
headphones. Australians
aged between 18 and 24
were also less likely to wear
hearing protection (23 per
cent) than older Australians.
”
Despite this relatively high awareness of the
potential damage of loud noise to hearing,
there has yet to be a significant change
in behaviour.
Behaviour directed at protecting hearing by age
Which, if any, of the following do you normally do to protect your hearing?
55
56
50
50
59
64
60
55
58
52
52
55
52
43
41
40
33 34
30
34
26
23
27
20
13
10
14
9
10
10
10
18-24 (n=84)
Limit the time
of exposure to loud noise
25-34 (n=184)
35-44 (n=182)
Limit the volume of music
played through headphones
45-54 (n=183)
Wear hearing protection
(eg ear plug, ear muffs)
55-64 (n=185)
Other things
Almost perfect, I can hear
better than most people I know
9
80
32
Very good
21
Good
14
Average
17
A little below average
14
Well below average
60
40
39
20
0
Total (n=100)
Those who believe that loud noise is not
damaging their hearing also felt that they had
better hearing than average. This would imply
either a sense of denial or lack of knowledge
regarding behaviour and consequences or
unawareness of one’s own hearing loss.
2
itchell P et al: The Prevalence, Risk Factors and Impacts
M
of Hearing Impairment in an Older Australian Community:
the Blue Mountains Hearing Study, 2002
How would you rate your own hearing?
10
18
12
47
36
20
0
6
25
38
21
21
30
13
7
5
5
18-24
(n=84)
7
2
25-34
(n=184)
4
16
16
19
60
40
8
30
80
0
Avoid places where
loud noise is present
100
Perceptions of own hearing by age
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
% of Respondents
The research revealed some trends, with those
having hearing checks in the last three years
more likely to believe they had poor hearing,
whilst more affluent respondents (those
who earned above $100K per year) were
more inclined to feel their hearing was
almost perfect compared with less
affluent respondents.
100
60
60
How would you rate your own hearing?
In reality, one in six Australians suffers from
hearing loss. Over half the population aged
between 60 and 70 has a hearing loss and this
increases to 70 per cent of those over the age
of 70.
69
70
Perceptions of own hearing by age
2
77
80
30
Very few people believe they have ‘very
poor’ hearing, with self assessments of
hearing becoming more negative with age.
Approximately two in five Australians (41 per
cent) felt that their hearing was either ‘very
good’ or ‘almost perfect’. One in four
(25 per cent) Australians believe their hearing
is below average, however each person’s
concept of ‘average’ is subjective.
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
Ear protection and limited exposure to
loud noise are the best methods of hearing
protection. It is encouraging to see these
preventative behaviours being employed by
many Australians. However, many of these
preventative behaviours are likely to be social
preferences based on age rather than conscious
decisions to protect one’s hearing.
of our own hearing
15
18
22
11
14
20
22
12
2
9
2
10
1
35-44
(n=182)
45-54
(n=183)
55-64
(n=185)
65+
(n=182)
30
17
65+ (n=182)
Almost perfect, I can hear better than most people I know
Very good
Good
Average
A little below average
Well below average
Very poor, I can hardly hear at all
14
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
15
Getting our
hearing checked
Nearly two in three (64 per cent) Australians
report they have had their hearing checked,
with older Australians more likely to have had a
recent check.
Forty per cent of young Australians (18 to
24 year olds) say they have had their hearing
checked, however this figure increases with age
with at least seven in 10 Australians above the
age of 55 stating they have had their hearing
checked. Most Australians have had a basic ear
check at primary school, although many may
have forgotten.
Older Australians are also more likely to recall
having had their hearing checked recently.
More than one third (36 per cent) of those
aged 65 and older who have had their hearing
checked have done so in the past year and an
additional third (31 per cent) in the past
three years.
Australians aged between 18 and 24 are most
likely to have had a check within the last 10
years, while those aged between 35 and 44 are
most likely to have had their last hearing check
more than 10 years ago.
Interestingly, men were more likely than women
to have had their hearing checked. This is an
encouraging sign, given that hearing loss is
more prevalent in men mainly due to noise
exposure in the workplace and during
military service.
Also of note is that people residing in Sydney,
Perth and Tasmania were significantly less
likely to have had a hearing check than in
other areas.
Getting our hearing checked
Have you ever had your hearing checked?
100
% of Respondents
80
60
43
42
57
58
34
25
27
60
75
40
20
73
66
40
0
18-24
(n=84)
Yes
25-34
(n=184)
No
35-44
(n=182)
45-54
(n=183)
55-64
(n=185)
65+
(n=182)
Attitudes to
Hearing Aids
Although more than half of Australians were
positive about wearing a hearing aid if their
hearing deteriorated, young Australians have
hesitations based on notions of hearing aids
being ugly and associated with a disability.
“
Overall, 57 per cent
of Australians stated
they would wear a
hearing aid if their
hearing deteriorated,
and 41 per cent said
‘maybe’. Willingness
to wear a hearing aid
increased with age.
Notably, 12 per cent of Australians mentioned
that hearing aids are discrete and unobtrusive,
matching the reality of today’s highly
sophisticated hearing aids.
As expected, fewer young people (44 per
cent) were willing to consider wearing a
hearing aid, and 10 per cent said no outright.
Encouragingly, those in the middle age ranges
positively associated the term, ‘hearing aids’
with comments on improving hearing and how
they are small and discrete.
”
When asked what words are associated with
hearing aids, the leading association is
positive: it improves hearing. There was an
observable difference between the associations
with hearing loss of younger Australians and
older Australians.
Younger Australians (44 years old and
younger) associated hearing loss with more
negative and disease related words such as
deafness, hearing aids, old age and impairment
compared to older Australians (45 years old
plus) who discussed more specific but softer
aspects such as repeating questions, social
isolation and being generally hard of hearing.
Image courtesy of Siemens
16
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
17
Living with
hearing loss
Most Australians know someone with a hearing
impairment, however younger Australians are
less likely to have this personal contact, and
are likely to be more ignorant to how hearing
impairment may affect their lives.
Four in five Australians reportedly know
someone who suffers from hearing loss. There
is a clear link between knowing someone with
hearing loss and increasing age, which is not
surprising given people generally associate with
similar aged peers. Two in three Australians
aged 18 to 24 knew someone with a hearing
impairment, and this figure rises steadily with
age. In the upper bracket, 93 per cent of
Australians aged 65 plus knew someone with a
hearing impairment.
The impact of interacting with
someone with a hearing impairment
was seen as minimal.
Tips for talking to someone with
a hearing loss
There is a misperception that hearing loss
affects a person’s ability to hear volume.
In reality, it commonly affects the ability to
discriminate one sound from another. The first
sign of hearing loss due to noise exposure is
difficulty hearing in noisy situations, such as
the dinner table or in a crowd.
Here are some tips for being understood when
talking to someone who suffers from
hearing loss:
•Don’t shout, speak normally.
•Face the person directly.
•Reduce background noise.
•If you are not being understood, find a
different way of saying the same thing.
Of those Australians who reported that they
suspected someone of having a hearing
impairment, nearly half indicated that it causes
difficulties in terms of their interaction (47 per
cent). Only about one in six people indicated
that the burden of hearing loss on their
relationship was quite difficult.
“
A similar trend was found when people were
asked if they suspected someone they know of
having a hearing impairment. Sixty-nine per
cent of Australians said ‘yes’, however this was
more prominent the older the respondent was.
18
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
australian hearing
”
Is Australia Listening?
19
Who is affected by
Hearing loss?
Words associated with hearing aids
The prevalence of hearing loss increases with
age and this is well known among the general
population, with the elderly being identified as
the highest probability group.
What three words or phrases do you associate with hearing aids?
Improves hearing/helpful/assisting
24
Deaf/deafness/hearing loss/disability
More than half (56 per cent) of the Australians
surveyed thought that 10 to 30 per cent of
the population suffer from hearing impairment
at some level. This is a fairly accurate
assessment, with one in six (17 per cent)
Australians suffering from hearing loss.
23
Old/elderly
21
Unsightly/ugly
20
Small/discrete/unobtrusive
12
Bulky/cumbersome/large/obtrusive
11
Uncomfortable
Over four in five (83 per cent) Australians
feel that there are segments of the
community which are at a higher risk of
hearing impairment or loss than others. Older
Australians (aged 55 plus) are significantly
more likely to hold this opinion and are most
likely to think that elderly Australians were at
the highest probability.
10
Whistling/feedback/static/squealing
9
Expensive/money
7
Essential/necessary/needed/useful
7
Ear piece/ear implant/in ear/hearing aid
7
Batteries/battery life
6
Annoying/nuisance/inconvenient
6
Other
89
0
20
40
60
80
100
Twenty-one per cent felt that Indigenous
people were a high-risk group in terms of
hearing loss. This is a correct assumption
although it’s unclear whether respondents were
aware that this is largely due to ear infections
rather than noise exposure. The level of ear
disease in the Aboriginal population is much
higher than that of the general population.
The prevalence of middle ear problems in
Indigenous Australian babies aged 12-18
months is somewhere between 50 per cent and
80 per cent.3
Younger Australians (under 45 years old)
were more inclined to think that fewer people
suffered from hearing impairment, probably
because they do not experience it first hand.
However two in five young Australians (18 to
24 year olds) felt that teenagers were likely to
have a hearing impairment, though they did
not think that many middle aged people have
hearing loss.
On a more personal level, four in five
Australians know of someone with a confirmed
hearing impairment and at least two in three
people suspect someone as having a hearing
impairment, though they did not think that
many middle aged people have hearing loss.
3
lose GR, et al. Guidelines on the prevention and control of
C
otitis media and its sequelae in Aboriginal children.
Medical Journal of Australia 1996; 164: supplement.
Who is affected by hearing loss?
Willingness to wear a hearing aid
Which, if any, of the following segments do you think are more likely to have hearing loss or impairment?
Would you consider wearing a hearing aid if your hearing deteriorates?
Elderly people
100
10
% of Respondents
80
2
4
3
42
46
48
1
38
1
26
Teenagers
38
Young adults
34
Middle aged people
46
60
31
Youth
40
20
85
44
55
52
48
61
26
Low income earners
23
73
Indigenous or aboriginal people
21
Average income earners
0
18-24
(n=84)
Yes
25-34
(n=184)
Maybe
35-44
(n=182)
45-54
(n=183)
No
55-64
(n=185)
65+
(n=182)
9
Children
9
Babies
6
People from non-English speaking backgrounds
6
High income earners
4
People from English speaking backgrounds
4
None of these
2
0
20
40
60
80
100
% of Respondents (n=1,000)
20
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
21
Lookingahead
Realistically, changing the long-term
impact on young peoples’ hearing
appears to involve several aspects.
Education: Bring to light the permanency and
reality of prolonged exposure to loud noise
including music at indoor venues, concerts and
through headphones. Increasing the awareness
of the short and long term effects and providing
realistic options to protecting their hearing may
go a long way to improving healthy
hearing behaviour.
Top-of-mind: Bring the issue of hearing to top
of mind for young Australians in the same way
sun-smart and road driving behaviours have
targeted youth attitudes and behaviours by
presenting them as current and relevant issues.
Tips for taking care of your hearing
•Listen to your MP3 player at a volume
where you can hear someone who is at
arm’s length without him or her having
to shout.
•Limit the amount of time you are
exposed to very loud noise. Take time out
periodically from noisy concerts or clubs.
•Wear ear plugs or muffs if you are
exposed to loud machinery or industrial
noise (such as mowing the lawn).
•Learn to fit ear plugs properly.
Industry: Educate venue operators of the risks
of high-volume noise in enclosed areas and
attempt to change industry behaviours, as well
as consumer behaviour for healthy hearing.
Young people will always go out. Providing
more realistic options with less excessive noise
may provide positive change.
“
While the ageing population is more acutely aware
of hearing loss and its impact on life, there are
opportunities to better educate the older community
about hearing services and solutions to hearing
problems. Our advice to people aged 65 years and older
is to get your hearing checked every two years. There
are also long-term benefits to dealing with hearing loss
early and wearing hearing aids at the outset.
22
Is Australia Listening?
australian hearing
”
Image courtesy of Siemens
australian hearing
Is Australia Listening?
23
about
Australian
Hearing
Australian Hearing is a federal government
agency with 94 hearing centres and 240
visiting sites around the country.
“
Our services include assessing hearing, fitting
hearing devices and providing counselling and
rehabilitation programs to help eligible clients
manage their hearing impairment.
Australian Hearing’s clients are at both ends
of the age spectrum, including young adults
under the age of 21, aged pensioners, Veterans
and Indigenous people aged over 50.
Australian Hearing provides the
best hearing care, the latest
hearing aid technology and leads
the world in hearing research.
”
Check your hearing over the telephone
You can check your hearing over the telephone
in around five minutes. Based on extensive
research, Telscreen has been developed by the
National Acoustic Laboratories in conjunction
with Australian Hearing and is the most advanced
telephone hearing service in the world.
Call 1800 826 500 toll-free
and follow the voice prompts.
Contact us
Call 131 797 to be connected to your
nearest Australian Hearing centre.
For media enquiries call
02 9412 6800.
Supported by