Table 3.

Percentage of categories reported in different countries

	Categories	Percentage of responses
		All countries	India	Iran	Portugal	UK
1	Activity limitations	2.8	2.0	3.9	2.8	2.7
2	Aging	3.7	0.8	7.8	3.2	3
3	Alternative modes of communication	2.4	2.4	1.8	1.8	3.7
4	Assessment and management	6.7	14.7	3.5	4.4	3.9
5	Attitude of the individual	0.8	1	0.4	0.8	1
6	Body structure	3.1	1	4.3	5.7	1.2
7	Causes of hearing loss	8	8.6	9.6	7.7	6.6
8	Challenging	1.6	1.2	0.2	2.8	2.3
9	Communication difficulties	8.5	8.1	4.3	10.9	10.3
10	Coping strategies	1.3	1.4	1	0.8	1.8
11	Dependence on others	1.3	1	1	1	1.6
12	Dependence on other senses	0.9	1.4	0.2	1.2	1
13	Disability	11.5	2	13	17.4	13.5
14	Education, employment and career issues	1	2	0.6	0.8	0.4
15	Friends and family members	0.9	–	0.6	2.6	0.2
16	Health condition	2	6.2	0.8	0.6	–
17	Hearing ability or disability	4.6	8.2	2.2	4.4	3.5
18	Hearing instruments	4.9	0.6	9.6	3.8	5.5
19	Isolation	3.9	0.8	4.3	4	6.6
20	Lifestyle and relationship changes	2.2	2.6	0.2	3.6	2.3
21	Need for support	1.8	5.8	0.2	–	1.2
22	Negative mental state	8.5	5.8	8.8	7.1	12.3
23	Not well understood	1.1	3.2	–	0.4	0.8
24	Orientation	0.4	–	0.2	0.4	0.8
25	Others’ attitudes	3.6	4.6	4.7	2.2	2.9
26	Positive mental state	0.7	0.2	2.2	–	0.2
27	Problem for others	0.5	2	–	–	0.61
28	Reduced ability	1.6	1.6	0.8	3.6	0.4
29	Social support	0.4	1.6	–	–	–
30	Sound and acoustics of the environment	3.8	0.2	3.3	4.3	4.9
31	Stress and exhaustion	0.5	–	1.6	–	0.2
32	Symptoms of hearing loss	2.7	4.6	1	1.2	1.8
33	Voice and speech functions	2.5	3.2	5.9	–	1
34	Vulnerable	1.5	2	0.8	1	2.05