6533b85ffe1ef96bd12c278f
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Hearing and Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Hannele PolkuAnne ViljanenErja PortegijsTimo TörmäkangasTuija M. MikkolaMerja RantakokkoTaina Rantanensubject
Malemedicine.medical_specialtySocial PsychologyCross-sectional studyHearing lossSpeech hearingelämänlaatuAudiologylife space03 medical and health sciences0302 clinical medicineAudiometryQuality of lifeSurveys and Questionnairesotorhinolaryngologic diseasesmedicineHumans030212 general & internal medicineHearing LossEveryday lifeAgedAged 80 and overSocioemotional selectivity theorymedicine.diagnostic_testagingta3141ta3142cohortkuulohumanitiesClinical PsychologyCross-Sectional Studiesikääntyminenquality of lifeHearing levelhearingFemaleIndependent LivingGeriatrics and Gerontologymedicine.symptomAudiometryPsychologyGerontology030217 neurology & neurosurgerydescription
Objectives Hearing loss is a common health concern in older people, and the prevalence of hearing loss increases with aging. Poor hearing may cause difficulties in everyday life situations and reduce quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess the associations between different domains of QoL (physical, psychological, social, and environmental), perceived hearing difficulties in various everyday situations, and audiometrically measured hearing level among community-dwelling older adults. Method Cross-sectional analysis of 76- to 91-year-old community-dwelling adults. Data on QoL (WHO Quality of Life Assessment short version) and perceived hearing difficulties were gathered via postal questionnaires (n = 706) and screening pure-tone audiometry was performed at the participants' homes for a random subsample (n = 161). Data were analyzed with linear regression models. Results Factor analysis on the perceived hearing difficulties questionnaire identified three dimensions: speech hearing, socioemotional effects, and spatial hearing. All the perceived hearing difficulty factors, but not the pure-tone audiometry results, were significantly associated with poorer values in all the QoL domains and the total QoL score. Discussion Perceived hearing difficulties in various everyday life situations are more strongly associated with older adults' QoL than audiometrically assessed hearing impairment.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-01 | The Journals of Gerontology: Series B |