Prioritizing the target audience for a hearing awareness campaign in Australia using the TARPARE model

Abstract

SummaryHearing loss affects one in six Australians, and it is estimated that around one-third of all hearing loss is preventable. Over the past decade, there have been repeated calls for the development of a national campaign in Australia, aimed at raising the public’s awareness of hearing health. We identified six target groups either at risk of developing hearing loss, vulnerable to poor outcomes as a result of untreated hearing loss, or lacking awareness of hearing health services, and applied the TARPARE model as a way of gathering insight into how a national hearing campaign might prioritize these different population segments. An online survey of prominent Australian academics, health practitioners and advocacy professionals with expertise in hearing health and/or public health promotion was created, through which their views on each of six potential target groups that had been identified as likely recipients of a potential hearing health campaign was sought. Young children and caregivers received the highest score based on survey responses and TARPARE criteria. A qualitative analysis of open-ended survey responses from the survey respondents revealed three key themes to consider as part of a potential campaign: Accessibility and availability of hearing services, Deciding on a preventative or treatment-focused approach, and The difficulty of changing behavior.