Characteristics and Health Outcomes Associated With Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among Older Adults

Abstract

Background: This study recruited older adults to explore physical and psychosocial conditions and other health outcomes associated with hearing loss (HL) and hearing aid use. Method: Survey data were used to categorize 20,244 participants into five groups: no HL, unaided mild HL, aided mild HL, unaided severe HL, and aided severe HL. Results: Individuals with unaided severe HL were more likely to report poor-fair self-rated health and were less likely to leave the home, or exercise 4 to 7 days per week, while there were no such associations for those with aided mild or severe HL. In addition, those with aided hearing were less likely to report depression, low social support, or mobility limitations. Discussion: In several instances, hearing aid use reduced associations between HL and negative psychosocial and physical characteristics, and health outcomes. More research using longitudinal study designs is needed to better understand the true implications of these findings.

Hearing Loss, Loneliness, and Social Isolation: A Systematic Review

“…Included studies were published between 1982 and 2019. Of the included studies, 7 were in the United States, 23,24,30,32-35 4 in the Netherlands, 25-28 2 in Canada, 29,36 and 1 in Japan. 31 Most studies (12/14) were cross-sectional, and 2 were longitudinal in design.…”

“…Most studies included both men and women, but 1 study included men only 32 and 2 studies reported results separately for men and women. 29,35…”

“…Three studies measured hearing status using pure-tone audiometry, 30,32,33 1 used tetratone audiometry, 24 2 used a speech-in-noise test, 26,28 and 6 used self-report (either a single question, multiple questions, or the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly). 23,25,28,29,35,36 Two studies used a combination of methods to measure hearing status, including both self-report and the speech-in-noise test 27 and both audiometry and self-report. 34 Seven of the included studies assessed hearing aid use through self-report.…”

“…29 Another study that assessed men and women separately found that there was an effect modification by gender on the effect of hearing loss on loneliness, with a stronger association between hearing loss and loneliness observed among women (women with mild hearing loss: OR 1.51, 95% CI, 1.35-1.68; women with moderate hearing loss: OR 1.35, 95% CI, 1.16-1.58; men with mild hearing loss: OR 1.18, 95% CI, 1.03-1.35; men with moderate hearing loss: OR 1.19, 95% CI, 1.01-1.41). 35…”

“…The references of the 13 remaining studies were reviewed for relevant articles, and 1 additional study was identified through reference list review for inclusion. A total of 14 studies [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] were included in the review, including 9 studies that assessed loneliness only, 3 studies that assessed social isolation only, and 2 studies that assessed both loneliness and social isolation in the same study ( Figure 1). Tables 1 and 2 summarize the key characteristics and findings of the studies included in this review.…”