Does Hearing Impairment Affect Mental Health Among Chinese Older Adults? Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Abstract

Background and Aim Hearing impairment is a commonly reported chronic condition among older adults. Hearing impairment is significantly associated with reduced quality of life and diminished function status. This study aimed to investigate the association between hearing impairment and mental health among Chinese older adults, with a focus on exploring the moderating effects of social participation and exercise on this association. Methods The data of this study were obtained from the 2018 wave of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We employed ordinary least squares regression models to analyze the effect of hearing impairment on mental health. Propensity score matching (PSM) and doubly robust estimation were employed to conduct robustness checks. Results Hearing impairment produced an adverse effect on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (coefficient = −1.4073, p < 0.001), while it had a positive effect on depression score (coefficient = 0.8682, p < 0.001). Further analyses using PSM and doubly robust estimation reported similar results. Moreover, social participation (coefficient = 0.9424, p < 0.001) and exercise (coefficient = 0.7001, p < 0.01) moderated the association between hearing impairment and MMSE score. Social participation (coefficient = −0.5991, p > 0.05) and exercise (coefficient = 0.7806, p > 0.05) did not moderate the association between hearing impairment and depression score. Conclusion We provide robust evidence indicating that hearing impairment had significantly negative effects on the cognitive function and depression status of older adults. Furthermore, we find that social participation and exercise relieved the negative effect of hearing impairment on cognitive function.

The impact of hearing loss on cognitive impairment: The mediating role of depressive symptoms and the moderating role of social relationships

“…In addition, disability may contribute to cognitive impairment as well as depressive symptoms in a reciprocal manner. Depressive symptoms affect patients’ ability to engage in cognitively stimulating activities, as well as their participation in the workforce and mental challenges ( 55 ). Meanwhile, people with depressive symptoms tend to have fewer social networks than healthy controls, and they are more likely to experience negative interactions and social strain.…”

Impact of Hearing Impairment on Mental Health in Elderly Partners

“…Moreover, there are no evidence indicating that, social participation or exercise relieved the adverse effect of hearing impairment on depression status. 3 Shoham, N., Lewis, G., Favarato, G., & Cooper, C. ( 2019), conducted a study on prevalence of anxiety disorder with hearing impairments, and found that, prevalence of anxiety is higher among people with hearing impairment than the general population; our findings indicate that this excess morbidity may be related to the hearing impairment itself, as it was associated with the severity of impairment, and reduced after surgical treatment. Clinicians should be aware of the potential impact of hearing on mental health, and that where hearing ability can be improved, this may reduce anxiety.…”

Waist-to-calf circumstance ratio and cognitive function among Chinese older adults: Mediating roles of physical performance and social activity

“…Similar to sarcopenia, SO has been linked to frailty and osteoporosis (Fan et al, 2021 ; Chou et al, 2022 ). Moreover, individuals with SO are at greater risk of metabolic disorders and reduced physical performance, such as walking speed, than those with sarcopenia or obesity alone (Sun et al, 2021 ; Tan et al, 2022 ). It was proposed that individuals with SO tended to suffer from impairment of living functions and lower physical capabilities during aging (Hayes and Preacher, 2014 ; Jia et al, 2020 ; Tanaka et al, 2022 ).…”