Survey overview
NewZealandTrak 2022 was designed and conducted by Anovum on behalf of the New Zealand Hearing Industry Association (NZHIA) and EHIMA. The study included a representative screening sample of 15,480 people and detailed interviews with 1,316 people with self-reported hearing loss, comprising 683 hearing aid owners and 633 non-owners.
Hearing loss and adoption
In NewZealandTrak 2022, 10.3% of the total population reported hearing loss, rising to 12.4% among adults aged 18 and over. This was broadly stable compared with 2018, when the figures were 10.1% and 12.3% respectively.
Hearing aid adoption increased to 44.4% of people with self-reported hearing loss, compared with 41.6% in 2018. Across the total population, 4.6% reported using hearing aids, up from 4.2% in 2018. Among hearing aid owners in the representative screening sample, 74% had binaural treatment.
Route to hearing care
40% of respondents had undergone a hearing test within the previous five years, compared with 38% in 2018. Audiologists and audiometrists were by far the most common providers of hearing tests, followed by ENT specialists and family doctors.
Among people with self-reported hearing loss, 53% had discussed their hearing loss with an ENT doctor and/or family doctor, while 46% received positive medical advice or a recommendation for further action from one of these professionals. In addition, 68% had discussed their hearing loss with an audiologist or audiometrist.
Hearing aid use and satisfaction
Hearing aids were worn for an average of 7.6 hours per day. 62% of currently owned hearing aids had been acquired in 2019 or later, and the average age of devices was 3.0 years.
Overall, 78% of hearing aid owners were satisfied with their devices, broadly unchanged from 79% in 2018. 87% said their hearing aids worked as expected or better.
Users also reported substantial benefits. 95% said their hearing aids improved their quality of life at least sometimes, while 70% felt more confident moving around a city since wearing hearing aids. Positive effects were also reported for communication, participation in group activities, social life and relationships at home and work.
Reimbursement and digital tools
79% of hearing aid owners received full or partial third-party reimbursement. Among non-owners, only 24% believed that a third party would cover at least some of the cost, while 52% did not know.
38% of hearing aid owners used a hearing aid app, and 81% of app users were satisfied with its performance.
Barriers to adoption
Among non-owners with more significant hearing loss, leading barriers included affordability, competing priorities, believing they could still hear well enough, feeling their hearing loss was not severe enough, and concerns about discomfort.
Overall, NewZealandTrak 2022 shows increasing hearing aid adoption and strong reported benefits among users, while affordability, perceived need and limited awareness of funding remain important barriers for non-owners.
Source: Anovum – NewZealandTrak 2022.
