Application of the Health Belief Model to Help-Seeking Behaviors of Working Men With Hearing Impairment Living in Deprivation in New Zealand.

There is a growing area of research investigating the relationship between hearing impairment and deprivation; However, this has not been investigated in New Zealand. This study used the Health Belief Model as a framework to investigate if men of high relative deprivation had barriers to seeking hearing services. Twelve participants were recruited and semi-structured interviews were conducted using the Hearing Beliefs Questionnaire. Overall, participants thought they were susceptible to hearing impairment and the impact of hearing impairment could be severe. All participants identified barriers to help-seeking for hearing services and amplification. Most participants believed that amplification would be beneficial, but only under certain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]