Chinese adults shun hearing aids, figures show

Only one in 10 adults in China with hearing difficulties use devices to help them, while no more than 50 per cent of children use hearing aids.

These statistics were released at Care and Rehabilitation Expo China 2013 in Beijing on Wednesday.

Nearly 300 companies and service centers from China and 16 overseas countries took part in the Expo.

Albert Lim, vice-president wholesale Asia-Pacific of Sonova, a Swiss company specializing in hearing and wireless systems, said more children with hearing difficulties should use high-quality devices, as they will help them to learn speech more easily.

"These high-tech devices are more widely used in developed countries, because of stronger awareness to have a better quality of life, and the support from medical insurance," Lim said.

Hearing aids and e-wheelchairs were the most popular devices in the exhibition. Lim hailed the latest hearing aid, saying: "It is very tiny, so others hardly know you are using it. Moreover, you can even shield the voices that you don't want to hear."

Liu Li, 75, who tried an e-wheelchair costing 10,000 yuan ($1,630) at a Chinese wheelchair company's booth, said: "I think the price is reasonable. We are getting old. Money doesn't matter too much, but quality of life does."