Patterns of presentation of adults with hearing impairment in a peri-urban community in South Africa: a qualitative study.

In a diverse country like South Africa, with a majority African population, the influence of cultural practices and beliefs proved to have a minimal influence on participants' help-seeking behavior for their ear and hearing challenges. However, an interplay of factors related to one's context at the time played a significant role in the patterns of presentation to the ear and hearing clinic. There is therefore a need to understand the perspectives of adults with hearing impairment from their environments to facilitate more contextual relevancy in healthcare provision within the preventive audiology field. Hearing health policymakers should also endeavor to consider the realities of health-seeking in each context and environment.