“They’re good for people who need them”: perceptions of hearing aids among Latino adults

Objective To explore perceptions of hearing aids among Latino older adults in the United States and examine whether attitudes, categorised as positive, neutral, or negative, were associated with demographic or clinical characteristics.Design Cross-sectional mixed-methods study.Study Sample Latino adults (n = 97; mean age = 76 years) recruited from community health centres in San Diego County, California.Results Among participants with a dominant attitude, 52% were positive, 28% neutral, and 19% negative; 9 participants did not exhibit a dominant attitude. In an ordinal logistic regression, higher MoCA scores were associated with greater odds of a more negative attitude (OR per SD = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.11–2.94, p=.018). HHIE-S, hearing aid use, age, sex, education, income, and PTA were not significant predictors (ps>.05). Qualitative analysis indicated that hearing aids were widely viewed as beneficial for communication, social connection, and safety, yet often framed as necessary for others rather than oneself. Positive associations included emotional benefits, whereas negative themes emphasised discomfort, stigma, variable performance, and emotional burden.Conclusions Latino older adults generally hold favourable attitudes towards hearing aids, but ambivalence and self-distancing from personal use persist. Culturally responsive strategies should address emotional readiness, usability, and post-adoption support in addition to access.