Hearing-Functioning Problems Across High-Burden Adult Health Conditions in Africa

Hearing-functioning problems contribute substantially to disability and rehabilitation needs globally; however, evidence describing the range and interconnected nature of these problems across African populations remains fragmented. This study aimed to describe hearing-functioning problems associated with high-burden adult health conditions across African populations using data from the Rehab4All database....

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Audiologists working with African populations or global health programs should be aware that hearing problems frequently co-occur with major systemic diseases; routine hearing screening within chronic disease care pathways in these settings is worth considering.

Hearing loss is underrecognized within high-burden disease programs in Africa; this cross-national evidence base could help justify integrating audiological care into broader chronic disease management on the continent.

1. 01Cross-national African study linking hearing-functioning problems to multiple high-burden adult health conditions.
2. 02Hearing difficulties were found to co-occur and intersect across conditions such as HIV, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
3. 03Study highlights the interconnected nature of hearing loss within multimorbidity frameworks in low- and middle-income countries.
4. 04Findings support the case for integrating hearing screening into chronic disease care programs in Africa.
5. 05Published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH).

PMID

42652290

DOI

10.3390/ijerph23080974.

Journal

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Adults with high-burden health conditions across multiple African countries

Intervention

Cross-national survey/assessment of hearing-functioning problems