Krishnadev S, Rohila Shetty, Vini Gupta
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder linked to microvascular and neuropathic complications, yet DM-related hearing loss(HL) remains frequently under-recognized. This cross-sectional study assessed and compared the attitude and awareness regarding this complication among 90 adults (equally distributed into age groups: 18–35, 36–54, and 54+ years) in rural Trivandrum, Kerala, using a validated 18-item Malayalam questionnaire. The results revealed poor overall awareness: only 51.1% of participants had heard of the condition, and only 33.3% recognized DM as a cause of auditory impairment. Significant age-related differences emerged; while older adults (54+ years) demonstrated better recognition of functional conversational and telephone difficulties, they lacked awareness regarding early indicators like high-frequency HL and tinnitus. Notably, all older participants recognized the preventive value of a healthy lifestyle. These widespread deficiencies highlight a critical need for targeted public health strategies, where audiologists must play a leading role. Audiologists are essential in designing culturally appropriate community education programmes, establishing interdisciplinary partnerships with primary diabetes care providers, and integrating routine audiological screenings into standard diabetic health services. Through these proactive initiatives, audiologists can facilitate early detection, timely management, and better long-term hearing health outcomes in rural diabetic populations.