Ear & Hearing, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Research & Development, Sonova AG, Stäfa, Switzerland.
J Med Internet Res. 2021 Dec 20;23(12):e27599. doi: 10.2196/27599.
eHealth and social media could be of particular benefit to adults with hearing impairment, but it is unknown whether their use of smart devices, apps, and social media is similar to that of the general population.
Our aim is to study whether adults with normal hearing and those with impaired hearing differ in their weekly use of smart devices, apps, and social media; reasons for using social media; and benefits from using social media.
We used data from a Dutch cohort, the National Longitudinal Study on Hearing. Data were collected from September 2016 to April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire and speech-in-noise test. The results from this test were used to categorize normal hearing and hearing impairment. Outcomes were compared using (multiple) logistic regression models.
Adults with impaired hearing (n=384) did not differ from normal hearing adults (n=341) in their use of a smartphone or tablet. They were less likely to make use of social media apps on a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.92; P=.02). Use of social media on all devices and use of other apps did not differ. Adults with hearing impairment were more likely to agree with using social media to stay in touch with family members (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.16-2.07; P=.003) and friends (age-adjusted OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.01-1.81; P=.046). Furthermore, they were more likely to agree with using social media to perform their work (age-adjusted OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04-2.18; P=.03). There were no differences in the experienced benefits from social media.
The potential for eHealth is confirmed because adults with hearing impairment are not less likely to use smart devices than their normal hearing peers. Adults with hearing impairment are less likely to use social media apps on a smart device but not less likely to use social media on all types of internet-connected devices. This warrants further research on the types of social media platforms that adults with hearing impairment use and on the type of device on which they prefer to use social media. Given that participants with hearing impairment are more likely than their normal hearing peers to use social media to perform their work, use of social media may be seen as an opportunity to enhance vocational rehabilitation services for persons with hearing impairment.
电子健康和社交媒体可能对听力障碍的成年人特别有益，但尚不清楚他们使用智能设备、应用程序和社交媒体的情况是否与一般人群相同。
我们旨在研究听力正常的成年人和听力受损的成年人在每周使用智能设备、应用程序和社交媒体方面是否存在差异；使用社交媒体的原因；以及使用社交媒体的好处。
我们使用了荷兰队列研究（国家听力纵向研究）的数据。数据于 2016 年 9 月至 2020 年 4 月期间通过基于网络的问卷和噪声下言语测试收集。该测试的结果用于将听力正常和听力受损进行分类。使用（多）逻辑回归模型比较结果。
听力受损的成年人（n=384）与听力正常的成年人（n=341）在使用智能手机或平板电脑方面没有差异。他们不太可能在智能手机、平板电脑或智能手表上使用社交媒体应用程序（年龄调整后的优势比 [OR]0.67，95%CI0.48-0.92；P=.02）。在所有设备上使用社交媒体和使用其他应用程序没有差异。听力受损的成年人更有可能同意使用社交媒体与家人（OR1.54，95%CI1.16-2.07；P=.003）和朋友（年龄调整后的 OR1.35，95%CI1.01-1.81；P=.046）保持联系。此外，他们更有可能同意使用社交媒体来完成工作（年龄调整后的 OR1.51，95%CI1.04-2.18；P=.03）。在社交媒体带来的益处方面没有差异。
电子健康的潜力得到了证实，因为听力受损的成年人使用智能设备的可能性并不低于听力正常的同龄人。听力受损的成年人不太可能在智能设备上使用社交媒体应用程序，但在所有类型的互联网连接设备上使用社交媒体的可能性并不低。这需要进一步研究听力受损的成年人使用的社交媒体平台类型以及他们更愿意在何种设备上使用社交媒体。鉴于听力受损的参与者比听力正常的同龄人更有可能使用社交媒体来完成工作，因此使用社交媒体可能被视为增强听力受损人士职业康复服务的机会。
