Hearing-related adaptive strategies : Development and initial validation of the AStra scale.

BACKGROUND

Hearing loss (HL) is a chronic disease with high prevalence in older adults and with negative impact on quality of life. The primary intervention is hearing aids (HAs); however, HA acceptance and usage stay low and the psychological mechanisms of HL adaptation remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we developed a psychometric instrument to assess hearing-related adaptive strategies (AStra).

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study was administered via self-report in three different samples (online, paper-pencil, app-based). In total, 169 individuals with subjective HL (mean age 62.51 years; 49.11% female; 57.40% HA users) participated. We included coping measures, subjective HL and HA satisfaction to assess AStra's construct validity, and HA use for criterion-related validity.

RESULTS

The AStra demonstrated robust psychometric properties, yielding a three-factor solution with strong internal consistency. AStra showed good construct validity with coping measures and was associated with HA use independently of traditional factors such as age and education.

DISCUSSION: The results highlight AStra's utility in understanding hearing-related adaptive strategies and emphasize the proactive role of older adults when dealing with HL. Further research is needed on when, how, and why adaptive strategies are used.

PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Adaptive strategy use may be translated into behavioral interventions for people with HL.