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Thesis
An investigation of accessibility and availability of audiologists in Iowa
University of Iowa
Master of Arts (MA), University of Iowa
Autumn 2023
DOI: 10.25820/etd.006838
Abstract
No previous research has been conducted examining the accessibility and availability of audiology businesses for adults in Iowa. The aim of this study was to examine the accessibility and availability of audiology businesses and clinics in Iowa by examining the geographic distribution of audiology businesses at the county-level (availability) and calculating estimated travel distances and times (by car) from estimated locations of older adults (≥ 65 years) with hearing loss to the nearest audiology business and creating distance buffer zones around each audiology business (accessibility) using geographic information systems (GIS) software and methodology. Estimated population data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census datasets, in conjunction with using estimated hearing loss rates to calculate the amount of individuals ≥ 65 years with hearing loss in each county. Counties in Iowa were stratified by metropolitan (i.e., urban) or nonmetropolitan (i.e., mix of urban and/or rural) classifications. The findings show that older adults with hearing loss living in nonmetropolitan counties experience longer mean drive distances and times to the nearest audiology business than in metropolitan counties (16.1 vs 10.7 miles, respectively), audiology businesses tended to locate more in nonmetropolitan counties than metropolitan counties, and there was not a statistically significant difference for proportions of older adults with hearing loss between counties that contained zero audiology businesses compared to counties that had at least one audiology business. These results are partly supported by previous studies at different geographic areas at similar scales, and suggest that there are accessibility and availability disparities for older adults with hearing loss living in nonmetropolitan counties compared to those in metropolitan counties that need to be addressed by public policy makers.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- An investigation of accessibility and availability of audiologists in Iowa
- Creators
- Alexander Hoc Chau
- Contributors
- Philip Combiths (Advisor)Stephanie Fleckenstein (Committee Member)Elizabeth Walker (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Arts (MA), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Speech Pathology and Audiology
- Date degree season
- Autumn 2023
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.006838
- Number of pages
- ix, 62 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2023 Alexander Hoc Chau
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 12/04/2023
- Description illustrations
- illustrations, tables, maps
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 45-62).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- Previous research has shown that audiologists in the United States tend to locate in urban areas with younger populations, higher income, lower proportions of older adults with hearing loss. Research investigating accessibility to audiologists have shown that older adults with hearing loss in rural areas have to travel longer distances to the nearest audiologist. Thus, the individuals who may need audiologists the most are less likely to have access to available audiologists. Using geographic software, census data, and audiology business data, this study examines whether similar results also exist in the state of Iowa. Iowa was chosen for this study because Iowa is a largely rural and agricultural state, and hearing loss and hearing healthcare disparities are associated with living in rural areas. The results of this study showed that audiology businesses tend to locate more in rural areas than urban areas, older adults with hearing loss living in rural areas have to drive longer distances and times to the nearest audiology business, and the relationship between audiology businesses and proportions of older adults with hearing loss was inconclusive. This study shows that while similar results exist for travel distance and time in other areas of the United States, disparities will differ for different areas and further research in other geographic areas will need to be done for disparities to be adequately addressed by public policy makers.
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Record Identifier
- 9984547148002771
Metrics
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