Communication Challenges and Barriers to Hearing Care for Older Bilingual Latinx Adults

项目摘要/摘要 这项研究计划的长期目标是增加弱势群体获得听力保健的机会 上了年纪的人。这项建议的目的是关注年长的双语拉丁裔的听力和交流需求 人口。目标1将专注于在嘈杂背景下的语音理解。我们将调查以下方面的影响 年龄、听力、认知加工和双语语言史对噪声中言语行为的影响。这一目标 包括基于实验室的测试协议和虚拟测试协议，用于测量语音理解、非语音听觉 加工和非语言认知(即执行功能)加工技能。这些研究的结果将 提高我们对所有老年人的言语感知能力的理论理解，特别是 增加与西班牙语/英语双语老年人有关的知识库。所进行的调查 在目标2中，重点是评估和定义与年龄、听力损失和双语能力相关的挑战 在日常交流中。目标2将采用混合方法。一项研究将依赖于 生态瞬时评估(EMA)-通过移动设备定期在整个 一天-量化在更广泛的拉丁裔老年人社区中使用这两种语言的需求 大多数讲英语的环境的背景。此外，对EMA参与者的采访将增加 调查问题的背景与日常接触中所经历的沟通和努力有关。最后， 焦点小组将探讨与老龄化和听力损失有关的问题，以及它们对以下方面的社会参与的影响 较年长的双语拉丁裔成年人。重要的是，我们将寻求确定听证会和沟通的优先事项 是为这一不断增长和服务不足的老年人群体提供的。关于语音生成的知识 在未来的赠款申请中，将利用理解和沟通需求和优先事项来制定 更好地为老年人服务的社区综合服务模式。

Project Summary/Abstract The long-term objective of this program of research is to increase access to hearing health care for underserved older adults. The aims of this proposal focus on the hearing and communication needs of an older bilingual Latinx population. Aim 1 will focus on speech understanding in noisy backgrounds. We will investigate the impacts of age, hearing, cognitive processing, and bilingual language history on speech-in-noise performance. This aim includes lab-based and virtual test protocols that will measure speech understanding, nonspeech auditory processing, and nonverbal cognitive (i.e., executive function) processing skills. The results of these studies will improve our theoretical understanding of speech perception abilities for all older adults, while specifically increasing the knowledge base related to Spanish/English bilingual older adults. The investigations undertaken in Aim 2 will focus on assessing and defining the challenges associated with age, hearing loss, and bilingualism in every day communication. A mixed methods approach will be undertaken in Aim 2. One study will rely on ecological momentary assessment (EMA)—brief surveys sent via mobile device periodically throughout the day—to quantify the demand for use of both languages in a Latinx community of older adults within the broader context of a majority English-speaking environment. In addition, interviews with the EMA participants will add context to the survey questions related to communication and effort experienced in daily encounters. Finally, focus groups will explore issues related to aging and hearing loss, and their impact on social engagement for older bilingual Latinx adults. Importantly, we will seek to determine what the hearing and communication priorities are for this growing and underserved population of older adults. The knowledge generated regarding speech understanding and communication needs and priorities will be used in future grant applications to develop community-integrated service models that will better serve older adults.