Adult and Peer Perceptions of Children with Visible Hearing Aids

Hearing aids may be critical in assisting children with hearing loss to develop to their optimal potential. However, stigma reduces patient adherence, possibly leading to negative psychosocial consequences in children. As wearable technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, we hypothesize that there will be reduced stigma associated with children seen wearing hearing aids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of individuals with normal hearing towards children wearing visible hearing aids in a hospital setting. We recruited parents and children attending the British Columbia Children's Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to assess the photographs of children with and without behind-the-ear hearing aids by completing a survey. They were randomly shown three photos of different children, with one or two wearing a hearing aid, and rated the pictures across healthiness, friendliness, intelligence, happiness, and physical fitness on a visual analog scale. Participants (n = 219) included 116 parents and 103 children. Adults rated children wearing hearing aids more positively in friendliness (p = .04) and happiness (p = .007). In all other attributes, rated by adults or children, there were no statistically significant differences. Our study did not show negative bias against children wearing visible hearing aids compared to their normal hearing peers. Potential response bias may have influenced adult ratings and the hospital setting may have biased the responses of children and adults. This study suggests the potential for reduced societal stigma associated with wearing visible hearing aids in children by adults and children in the general population.