Search

A recent study has found that hearing loss is twice as common in Australia's lowest income groups compared to higher income groups. This disparity is attributed to lifestyle factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise, which are more prevalent in lower socioeconomic communities. Additionally, people with lower incomes may face challenges in accessing timely hearing care, leading to missed identification of treatable ear disease. Lack of access to affordable hearing care for working-age adults on low incomes not only has a social cost but also an economic cost, with productivity losses being the largest component. The study suggests that reforming the current government Hearing Services Program and expanding eligibility to lower income working-age Australians could promote a more inclusive and fairer society while reducing lost productivity. [Extracted from the article]