Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People's Experiences With Hearing Loss and Audiological Services: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: In Australia, older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the highest prevalence of hearing loss, for which dedicated audiological services are available. However, there is limited research on the experiences older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have with hearing loss and audiological services. Therefore, this study aimed to consolidate existing literature with a scoping review, specifically on the above to identify gaps and guide future research.

Method: Ten databases, including electronic journal databases and government databases, were systematically searched. Additional studies were sought from article reference lists, review articles, conference abstracts and Google Scholar. We identified 540 records and 22 of them met our inclusion criteria. Our inclusion criteria constituted research of any design on the experiences of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (aged 45+ years) with hearing loss and audiological services.

Results: Seventeen studies reported on experiences with hearing loss, four studies reported on experiences with audiological services and one study reported on both experiences. Prevalence of hearing loss was estimated to be 20%-34% in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; a discrepancy between self-reported and objective hearing difficulties was also identified. Audiological services currently available to older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were also underutilised.

Conclusions: Future research on older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is required to uncover: (1) the reasons for underreported hearing loss; (2) types of hearing loss experienced; (3) barriers to accessing audiological services; and (4) best hearing-loss management and rehabilitation practices.

Keywords: Torres Strait islander; aboriginal; audiology; hearing loss; indigenous; older adults.