Deaf adults at higher risk for severe illness: COVID-19 information preference and perceived health consequences

Abstract

Objectives This study explores deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals’ preferred sources of information for COVID-19 and their perceptions of developing severe illness from COVID-19 given underlying medical conditions. Methods A national online bilingual American Sign Language/English survey was conducted from April 17 to May 1, 2020. Weighted sample of 474 DHH adults living in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine independent associations of sociodemographic variables and health indicators with perceived COVID-19 health consequences. Results About 44% of the medical condition sample used the Internet (English-based text) first for COVID-19 information, followed by TV (24%). Only 1% selected healthcare provider as the go-to source; the remainder got information from family or friends. Perceived health consequences increased with age (adjusted OR = 1.04; CI 95% = 1.02, 1.06). At-risk respondents who self-identified as persons of color were nearly three times more likely to believe that their health will be severely affected by COVID-19 compared to respondents who self-identified as white (adjusted OR = 2.94; CI 95% = 1.20, 7.18). Conclusions Perception of COVID-19 health consequences vary among DHH adults at higher risk for severe illness. Practice implications Information delivery methods must be flexible and comprehensive to meet the diverse community’s needs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If online learning works for you, what about deaf students? Emerging challenges of online learning for deaf and hearing-impaired students during COVID-19: a literature review

“…Deaf individuals typically experience challenges in acquiring health information, resulting in substantial disparities in health knowledge and discrepancies in preventative health care [ 19 ], and this gap has increased during the COVID-19 epidemic. For example, in the beginning of the epidemic, the sign language related to COVID-19 was inadequately established, resulting in misinformation and confusion [ 20 ]. As the media started intensively focusing on the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) failed to deliver a conventional sign for COVID-19, leaving this responsibility to deaf communities.…”

Towards an Inclusive Society: Review of Google Trends Data of User Interest in the Deaf Comparing to the Blind and the Disabled

“…On the other hand, an inclusive society is created when every member of the community is accepted on an equal footing, when everyone has the opportunity to participate in the labor market and employment processes, access education, social services and fully function in everyday life (Dwyer et al, 2019;Moriña et al, 2020;Hall et al, 2019). Paradigms of policy and practice, characterized by both cultural and equal opportunities, shape the processes of reducing social exclusion through the satisfaction of individual needs (Blanck, 2020).…”

External Communication Barriers among Elderly Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Isolation: A Qualitative Study

“…Recent studies showed that older DHH people may suffer exponentially more physical and mental effects during the COVID-19 pandemic when both hearing impairment and old age are present [ 9 ], some of whom often encounter information, communication and healthcare barriers [ 10 , 11 ]. These populations could be more vulnerable than hearing older adults [ 12 ]. As a matter of fact, older individuals with hearing loss have a higher chance of having chronic conditions such as stroke, diabetes, hypertension and asthma [ 13 ], with a high prevalence of some chronic conditions, this population is more likely to visit hospitals or emergency departments during a COVID pandemic, where has a higher likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19 infection [ 9 , 14 ].…”