Birditt Lab

Research focus

NIH R01 · 2025

Promoting hearing aid use: The roles of social networks and daily interpersonal processes

Hearing loss is a leading source of disability with 15% of U.S. adults (37.5 million people) suffering from hearing loss which predicts increased depression, social isolation, loneliness, increased risk of falls, cognitive decline, and dementia. Hearing aids are an effective treatment associated with improved quality of life, less loneliness, better relationship quality, and reductions in cognitive decline. Yet only 25% of adults with hearing loss have ever used hearing aids and these patterns are worse among older adults. Up to 65% of those 71 and older have hearing loss and less than a third report using hearing aids. The lack of insurance coverage and the high cost contribute to lack of…

From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.