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The COVID-19 pandemic created major communication barriers for individuals with hearing impairments, primarily due to face masks blocking lip movements. Researchers at University of Tsukuba examined these issues and related factors. They found that having a daily supporter, going out frequently, and the severity of hearing impairment all affected the level of difficulty, with daily support reducing such issues.

Tsukuba, Japan—Face masks, widely used during the pandemic to prevent infection, made communication harder for individuals with hearing impairments by hiding facial cues and muffling voices. However, the factors influencing the extent of these challenges had not been identified.

Hence, this study used data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, focusing on 410 individuals with hearing impairment. It examined communication difficulties caused by others wearing face masks during the pandemic. Results showed that 55.6% of participants experienced such challenges. Those with daily support were less likely to face them. Additionally, individuals aged 40-64 were more affected than those aged 65 and above, and those who went out more often or had more severe hearing loss also reported greater difficulty.

The findings suggest that increased social interaction raises the likelihood of communication problems, highlighting the need for support even for typically independent individuals during emergencies.

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This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering) [22 K 18258].

Original Paper

Title of original paper:

Communication difficulties among individuals with hearing impairments during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated factors: a cross-sectional study using a national survey in Japan

Journal:

BMC Public Health, Volume 25, Article number: 1002 (2025)

DOI:

10.1186/s12889-025-22108-5

Correspondence

Specially Appointed Associate Professor WATANABE Taeko
Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba

Related Link

Institute of Medicine