Hear the World survey

To launch Hear the World, Phonak releases results from a survey the company had commissioned and which details more than 3,000 American, French and German respondents’ views about hearing and hearing loss.

Highlights from the survey include:

What would people miss the most if they could not hear?
Interestingly, the survey showed different results for each country - while Germans ranked music first, the French valued conversation over music, and Americans showed a primary attachment to the sound of familiar voices.

Why won’t people use hearing instruments?
A majority (around 40% in Germany and France) of respondents felt that the aesthetics and design of the instruments dissuaded use. Another reason are the negative impressions that they believed the use of hearing instruments conveyed to others, such as advanced age and the fear that they would  appear handicapped.

How many people have had their hearing tested?
Surprisingly, across all countries, people aged 65 and older showed the highest percentage of respondents who have never been tested, while this age group is also the group that is most affected by hearing loss.

Do people protect their hearing?
People between the ages of 25 and 64 in the U.S. were the most cautious about exposure to loud noise, while the youngest and oldest age groups tended to take the danger more lightly.

Detailed information on the study can be downloaded here as a pdf