Barriers and facilitators influencing hearing help-seeking behaviors for adults in a peri-urban community in South Africa: a preventive audiology study.

Objective: This study aims to examine the barriers and facilitators to accessing ear and hearing care experienced by adults with hearing impairment in a developing South African context.

Methods: A total of 23 participants were recruited through purposive sampling from an audiology department of a public hospital in peri-urban South Africa. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture a broad range of perspectives.

Patterns of presentation of adults with hearing impairment in a peri-urban community in South Africa: a qualitative study.

Background: There is a wealth of research, globally, on the help-seeking behavior patterns of individuals with a variety of chronic medical conditions. Contextually relevant findings have been reported describing the influence of a disease and/or disorder together with the related personal, social, environmental, and region-specific factors. However, research related to help-seeking behavior patterns in hearing impairment is mostly found in high income countries (HICs) and tells a one-sided story indicating a knowledge gap in other contexts.