Quality of Life Among Adults With Hearing Loss Who Were Prescribed Hearing Aids in Aseer Province, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Tertiary Center-Based Study

Introduction Hearing loss affects people of all ages, and it may become a burden for patients as well as for those around them. It leads to social isolation and impacts the quality of life (QOL). Many studies aim to investigate the outcome of hearing aids as an intervention to treat hearing loss. Our study’s objective is to assess the QOL in participants and investigate the possible factors that have an impact on the outcomes of hearing aid use. Methods The study adopted a cross-sectional design and was carried out in the Armed Forces Hospital South Region, a tertiary care center in Aseer Province, Saudi Arabia. Participants were patients who presented to the ENT clinic with a complaint of hearing loss from 2017 to 2019 and who were prescribed hearing aids as their treatment. The study uses the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) to measure the QOL and its determinants in patients using hearing aids. Results A total of 210 patients were included in the study. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) was found in 72.2%, and 20% of patients were found to have bilateral hearing loss. Moderate or severe hearing loss was found in 80% of the patients in the worst hearing ear. The overall QOL among the participants was satisfactory, with the highest domain score being the social relationship domain (85.9%). The QOL was significantly higher in participants who were in an intimate relationship (P = 0.02). A positive correlation was found between the IOI-HA scores and the WHOQOL-BREF scores in general health (R = 0.14, P = 0.034), psychological health (R = 0.16, P = 0.018), and the overall QOL score (R = 0.15, P = 0.035). Conclusion Hearing aids are a cost-effective intervention that improves QOL and prevents associated comorbidities. Compliance and adherence to hearing aids improve the QOL for patients, as well as for their spouses. Patients suffering from hearing loss while also in an intimate relationship had better QOL scores. A correlation was found in outcomes between the IOI-HA scores and the WHOQOL-BREF scores in general health, psychological health, and overall health.