scholarly journals Socioeconomic differences in hearing among middle-aged and older adults: cross-sectional analyses using the Health Survey for England

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e019615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Scholes ◽  
Jane Biddulph ◽  
Adrian Davis ◽  
Jennifer S. Mindell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Health Survey For England

BackgroundHearing loss impacts on cognitive, social and physical functioning. Both hearing loss and hearing aid use vary across population subgroups. We examined whether hearing loss, and reported current hearing aid use among persons with hearing loss, were associated with different markers of socioeconomic status (SES) in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.MethodsHearing was measured using an audiometric screening device in the Health Survey for England 2014 (3292 participants aged 45 years and over). Hearing loss was defined as >35 dB HL at 3.0 kHz in the better-hearing ear. Using sex-specific logistic regression modelling, we evaluated the associations between SES and hearing after adjustment for potential confounders.Results26% of men and 20% of women aged 45 years and over had hearing loss. Hearing loss was higher among men in the lowest SES groups. For example, the multivariable-adjusted odds of hearing loss were almost two times as high for those in the lowest versus the highest income tertile (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.74). Among those with hearing loss, 30% of men and 27% of women were currently using a hearing aid. Compared with men in the highest income tertile, the multivariable-adjusted odds of using a hearing aid nowadays were lower for men in the middle (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.99) and the lowest (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.97) income tertiles. Associations between SES and hearing were weaker or null among women.ConclusionsWhile the burden of hearing loss fell highest among men in the lowest SES groups, current hearing aid use was demonstrably lower. Initiatives to detect hearing loss early and increase the uptake and the use of hearing aids may provide substantial public health benefits and reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health.

Hearing Loss, Control, and Demographic Factors Influencing Hearing Aid Use Among Older Adults

1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean C. Garstecki ◽  
Susan F. Erler
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Psychological Control ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Ego Strength ◽  
Hearing Sensitivity ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Hearing Handicap

Preference for non-use of hearing aids among older adults who are candidates for amplification remains to be explained. Clinical studies have examined the contribution of consumer attitudes, behaviors, and life circumstances to this phenomenon. The present study extends the interests of earlier investigators in that it examines psychological control tendencies in combination with hearing loss and demographic variables among older adults who elected to accept (adherents) or ignore (nonadherents) advice from hearing professionals to acquire and use hearing aids. One hundred thirty-one individuals participated by completing measures of hearing, hearing handicap, psychological control, depression, and ego strength. Participants were asked to provide demographic information and personal opinions regarding hearing aid use. Adherence group and gender differences were noted on measures of hearing sensitivity, psychological control, and demographic factors. Female adherents demonstrated greater hearing loss and poorer word recognition ability but less hearing handicap, higher internal locus of control, higher ego strength, and fewer depressive tendencies than female nonadherents. They reported demographic advantages. Female adherents assumed responsibility for effective communication. Although male adherents and nonadherents did not differ significantly demographically, male adherents were more accepting of their hearing loss, took responsibility for communication problems, and found hearing aids less stigmatizing. Implications for clinical practice and future clinical investigations are identified and discussed. Results are expected to be of interest to clinicians, clinical investigators, and health care policymakers.

scholarly journals Hearing Loss, Hearing Aid Use and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults – Findings from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aishwarya Shukla ◽  
Nicholas Reed ◽  
Nicole M Armstrong ◽  
Frank R Lin ◽  
Jennifer A Deal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Atherosclerosis Risk

Abstract OBJECTIVES Investigate the cross-sectional association between hearing loss (HL), hearing aid use, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD The analytic sample consisted of 3188 participants (age range 71-94 years) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of audiometric hearing status and self-reported hearing aid use with depressive symptoms (11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale). RESULTS 4.6% of participants had depressive symptoms. 40% had mild HL and 27% had moderate or greater HL. In multivariable-adjusted models, mild HL was associated with 1.90 times higher odds (95% Confidence Interval, [CI] 1.20-3.01) and moderate or greater HL with 2.42 times higher odds (95% CI 1.44-4.07) of depressive symptoms compared to normal hearing. Each 10dB increase in HL was associated with 1.30 higher odds of depressive symptoms (95% CI 1.14-1.49). Hearing aid use was not associated with depressive symptoms among those with mild (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.94, 95% CI 0.35-2.54) or moderate or greater (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.60-2.11) HL. DISCUSSION Older adults with HL have higher odds of depressive symptoms compared to adults with normal hearing. Future studies are needed to assess whether hearing care is protective against depressive symptoms in older adults.

Audiologist Practices: Parent Hearing Aid Education and Support

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (04) ◽  
pp. 324-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Meibos ◽  
Karen Muñoz ◽  
Karl White ◽  
Elizabeth Preston ◽  
Cache Pitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
The United States ◽  
Counseling Skills ◽  
Data Logging ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hearing Aid Use

Background: Early identification of hearing loss has led to routine fitting of hearing aids in infants and young children. Amplification provides opportunities to optimize child development, although it also introduces challenges for parents to navigate. Audiologists have a central role in providing parents with support to achieve effective management strategies and habits. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore current practices of pediatric audiologists who work with children birth to 5 yr of age, regarding their support of parent learning in achieving effective hearing aid management, identify existing gaps in service delivery, and to determine if audiologists were receptive to receiving training related to effective approaches to provide counseling and support to parents. Research Design: A cross-sectional, population-based survey was used. Study Sample: Three hundred and forty-nine surveys were analyzed from pediatric audiologists who provided services to children birth to 5 yr of age. Responses were received from 22 states in the United States. Data Collection and Analysis: Responses were collected through the mail and online. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the information. Results: More than half (61%) of the audiologists in the study had been providing pediatric hearing aid services to children birth to 5 yr of age for >10 yr. Of the audiologists who reported monitoring hours of hearing aid use, the majority reported that they used data logging (90%). More than half of the audiologists (57%) who shared data logging with parents reported that they encountered defensiveness from parents when addressing hearing aid use. Information and skills that were not routinely provided by one-third to one-half of the audiologists included the following: how to get access to loaner hearing aids (30%), available hearing aid options/accessories (33%), available financial assistance (36%), how to teach hearing aid management to other caregivers (38%), how to do hearing aid maintenance (44%), and how to do a Ling 6 sound check (52%). Many audiologists reported they did not frequently collaborate with speech-language pathologists (48%), early interventionists (47%), or physicians (68%). More than half of the audiologists indicated a desire for more training in counseling skills, for all 14 items queried, to support parents with hearing aid management (53–79%), regardless of their previous training experience. Conclusions: For young children with hearing loss to achieve optimal benefit from auditory experiences for speech and language development, they need evidence-based, comprehensive, and coordinated hearing aid management. Audiologists have an important role for teaching information and skills related to hearing aids, supporting parent learning, and collaborating with other providers. Pediatric audiologists in this study recognized and desired the need for further training in counseling skills that can better prepare them to meet the emotional needs of parents in the hearing aid management process.

scholarly journals Perceived Benefit From Hearing Aid Use and Life-Space Mobility Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannele Polku ◽  
Tuija M. Mikkola ◽  
Jean-Pierre Gagné ◽  
Merja Rantakokko ◽  
Erja Portegijs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Life Space ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Perceived Benefit ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Mobility Score

Objectives: To examine the association between perceived benefit from hearing aid (HA) use and life-space mobility among older adults. Method: Cross-sectional analysis of 76- to 91-year-old community-dwelling adults ( n = 702). Data on perceived hearing with and without a HA were obtained via postal questionnaire and data on life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment, range = 0-120) via phone interview. Results: Participants who perceived more benefit from HA use, had a better life-space mobility score ( M = 65, SD = 2.6) than participants who had less benefit from using a HA ( M = 55, SD = 3.2). Participants who benefitted more from HA use did not differ from those who did not have a HA ( M = 63, SD = 0.9) in their life-space mobility score. Discussion: Perceived benefit from HA use is associated with higher life-space mobility among community-dwelling older adults. Future studies are needed to examine whether use of an appropriate HA promotes life-space mobility among those with difficulties in hearing.

scholarly journals Hearing Care Disparities in Dementia: Access and Usability in the Coming Era of OTC Hearing Aids

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 746-746
Author(s):  
Carrie Nieman ◽  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
Sara Czaja ◽  
Esther Oh
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent among persons with dementia (PwDs) and is associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, few use hearing aids and disparities exist. PwDs and, in particular, minority older adults, have some of the lowest rates of hearing aid use. Recent federal legislation created the designation of over-the-counter hearing aids, which will debut by 2020-2021, and represents an opportunity to advance accessibility. This presentation will share estimates of hearing aid use among community-dwelling PwDs from two cohorts, where hearing aid use ranges from 7-11% among African Americans versus 33-45% among whites. To explore this gap, the presentation will share findings from semi-structured interviews with care partners of PwDs and hearing loss around barriers and facilitators of hearing care, including device usability. With growing understanding of sensory health, a changing hearing care landscape represents a critical opening to increase access to hearing care for PwDs. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Interest Group.

scholarly journals Alternative Pathways for Hearing Care May Address Disparities in Access

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Willink ◽  
Lama Assi ◽  
Carrie Nieman ◽  
Catherine McMahon ◽  
Frank R. Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
The U.S

Background/Objectives: Low-uptake of hearing aids among older adults has long dogged the hearing care system in the U.S. and other countries. The introduction of over-the-counter hearing aids is set to disrupt the predominantly high-cost, specialty clinic-based delivery model of hearing care with the hope of increasing accessibility and affordability of hearing care. However, the current model of hearing care delivery may not be reaching everyone with hearing loss who have yet to use hearing aids. In this study, we examine the group of people who do not use hearing aids and describe their characteristics and health care utilization patterns. We also consider what other healthcare pathways may be utilized to increase access to hearing treatment.Design: Cross-sectional, the 2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.Setting: Non-institutionalized adults enrolled in Medicare, the U.S. public health insurance program for older adults (65 years and older) and those with qualifying medical conditions and disabilities.Participants: A nationally representative sample of 7,361 Medicare beneficiaries with self-reported trouble hearing and/or hearing aid use.Measurements: Survey-weighted proportions described the population characteristics and health care utilization of those with hearing loss by hearing aid use, and the characteristics of those with untreated hearing loss by health care service type utilized.Results: Women, racial/ethnic minorities, and low-income Medicare beneficiaries with self-reported hearing trouble were less likely to report using hearing aids than their peers. Among those who do not use hearing aids, the most commonly used health care services were obtaining prescription drugs (64%) and seeing a medical provider (50%). Only 20% did not access either service in the past year. These individuals were more likely to be young and to have higher educational attainment and income.Conclusion: Alternative models of care delivered through pharmacies and general medical practices may facilitate access to currently underserved populations as they are particularly high touch-points for Medicare beneficiaries with untreated hearing trouble. As care needs will vary across a spectrum of hearing loss, alternative models of hearing care should look to complement not substitute for existing access pathways to hearing care.

scholarly journals Hearing Aid Use in Older Adults With Postlingual Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew E Hughes ◽  
Joanna Nkyekyer ◽  
Hamish Innes-Brown ◽  
Susan L Rossell ◽  
David Sly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing ◽  
Training Centre ◽  
Hearing Aid Use

BACKGROUND Older adults with postlingual sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) exhibit a poor prognosis that not only includes impaired auditory function but also rapid cognitive decline, especially speech-related cognition, in addition to psychosocial dysfunction and an increased risk of dementia. Consistent with this prognosis, individuals with SNHL exhibit global atrophic brain alteration as well as altered neural function and regional brain organization within the cortical substrates that underlie auditory and speech processing. Recent evidence suggests that the use of hearing aids might ameliorate this prognosis. OBJECTIVE The objective was to study the effects of a hearing aid use intervention on neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning in individuals with SNHL aged ≥55 years. METHODS All aspects of this study will be conducted at Swinburne University of Technology (Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia). We will recruit 2 groups (n=30 per group) of individuals with mild to moderate SNHL from both the community and audiology health clinics (Alison Hennessy Audiology, Chelsea Hearing Pty Ltd). These groups will include individuals who have worn a hearing aid for, at least, 12 months or never worn a hearing aid. All participants would be asked to complete, at 2 time points (t) including baseline (t=0) and follow-up (t=6 months), tests of hearing and psychosocial and cognitive function and attend a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session. The MRI session will include both structural and functional MRI (sMRI and fMRI) scans, the latter involving the performance of a novel speech processing task. RESULTS This research is funded by the Barbara Dicker Brain Sciences Foundation Grants, the Australian Research Council, Alison Hennessy Audiology, and Chelsea Hearing Pty Ltd under the Industry Transformation Training Centre Scheme (ARC Project #IC140100023). We obtained the ethics approval on November 18, 2017 (Swinburne University Human Research Ethics Committee protocol number SHR Project 2017/266). The recruitment began in December 2017 and will be completed by December 2020. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to assess the effect hearing aid use has on neural, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in individuals with SNHL who have never used hearing aids. Furthermore, this study is expected to clarify the relationships among altered brain structure and function, psychosocial factors, and cognition in response to the hearing aid use. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12617001616369; https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12617001616369 (Accessed by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/70yatZ9ze) INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR RR1-10.2196/9916

scholarly journals Caring for Persons With Dementia in Audiology

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 86-86
Author(s):  
Marilyn Reed
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Rehabilitation ◽  
Hearing Aid Use

Abstract While hearing loss is highly prevalent among patients with dementia, it frequently goes unidentified and unmanaged. It has been a commonly-held belief that older adults with dementia are unable to benefit from hearing rehabilitation, but recent evidence shows that many individuals with dementia can successfully use amplification, helping to improve communication, social interaction and quality of life for these individuals and their caregivers. This presentation will describe how modifications to practice led to successful outcomes for the majority of patients of a geriatric audiology clinic with co-morbid hearing loss and cognitive impairment. In a study of hearing aid use in 67 patients with these comorbidities, over 90% used hearing aids successfully with measurable benefit for both patients and caregivers. Furthermore, we will discuss approaches to improving communication for LTC residents with dementia and hearing loss through the support of audiologists during remote visits with physicians and families during the pandemic.

O3-08-02: DEMENTIA AND HEARING CARE DISPARITIES: PREVALENCE OF PROXY-RATED HEARING LOSS AND HEARING AID USE IN A COMMUNITY-DWELLING COHORT OF DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (7S_Part_19) ◽  
pp. P1033-P1033
Author(s):  
Carrie L. Nieman ◽  
Kaitlin Plaat ◽  
Deirdre Johnston ◽  
Betty E. Black ◽  
Melissa Reuland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Hearing Aid Use

scholarly journals Trends in Hearing Aid Use Among Older Adults in the United States, 2011-2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 105-105
Author(s):  
Nicholas Reed ◽  
Emmanuel Garcia Morales ◽  
Amber Willink
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Hearing loss among older adults is prevalent and associated with dementia and health care utilization. However, cross-sectional data suggest less than 20% of adults with hearing loss use hearing aids. There is a paucity of studies examining trends in hearing aid ownership over time. This study analyzed data from the 2011, 2015, and 2018 cycles of the National Health Aging and Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally-representative longitudinal study of Medicare Beneficiaries. Participants were asked “in the last month, [have you/has [he/she]] use a hearing aid or other hearing device?” (“yes” or “no”). Among a weighted sample of Medicare Beneficiaries 70 years and older (26.47 million in 2011; 29.70 million in 2015; and 33.28 in 2018), the overall proportion who own and use hearing aids rose from 14.96% in 2011 to 16.90% in 2015 to 18.45% in 2018. As age increased so did the proportion of older adults who used hearing aids. A smaller proportion of Black Americans used hearing aids across time and experienced a smaller overall increase in the proportion in hearing aid ownership over the 8-year period compared to White Americans (+0.78% vs. +4.30%). Black women had the lowest rates of hearing aids use across the 8-year period. Notably, older adults at less than 100% of the federal poverty level experienced an overall decrease in proportion of hearing aid ownership and use. This study lays the groundwork to examine the impact of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 across subpopulations when it takes effect in 2021.

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