Self‐Reported Hearing Status Is Associated with Lower Limb Physical Performance, Perceived Mobility, and Activities of Daily Living in Older Community‐Dwelling Men and Women

Abstract

STRUCTURED ABSTRACT:BACKGROUND: Poor hearing is common in older adults and it may have negative consequences which extend beyond communication. OBJECTIVES:To explore the associations of self-reported hearing problems with physical performance and self-reported difficulties in mobility and activities of daily living (ADL) in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN:Cross-sectional cohort study SETTING: Community PARTICIPANTS: 848 men and women aged 75-90 years MEASUREMENTS:Structured face-to-face interviews to assess perceived hearing problems in the presence of noise, mobility difficulties (moving indoors, stair-climbing, 0.5 km walk and 2 km walk) and difficulties in ADLs and instrumental ADLs. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test was administered. Age, years of education, cognitive functioning, and self-reported cardiac, circulatory, and locomotor diseases were used as covariates. RESULTS:Compared to persons who reported good hearing, persons who reported major hearing problems had a lower SPPB total score indicating poorer performance (mean 9.8 vs.10.9, p=0.009) and more difficulties in ADLs (mean 1.8 vs. 1.4, p=0.002) and IADLs (mean 4.6 vs. 3.4, p=0.002) after controlling for covariates. They also had higher odds for more difficulty in stair-climbing (OR 2.8, p<0.001) and walking 2 km (OR 2.1, p=0.003) and tended to have more difficulty in walking 0.5 km (OR 1.7, p=0.050) but not in moving indoors (p=0.177). Persons who reported only some hearing problems did not differ from those who reported good hearing in any of the variables studied. CONCLUSION:Perceived major hearing problems among older adults may contribute to 4 poorer lower limb performance, and difficulties in mobility and ADL. Longitudinal studies are needed in order to disentangle whether poor hearing is a risk factor for decline in physical performance. Given the growing prevalence of hearing problems with increasing age, it is vitally important to study the correlates of hearing difficulties in old adults. The primary purpose of the present study was to explore the associations between self-reported hearing problems and physical performance in community-dwelling older adults. We also studied the association of self-reported hearing problems with perceived mobility difficulties and difficulties in activities of daily living.7 METHODS Design and sampleThe analyses made use of cross-sectional data gathered for the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age (LISPE) project, which is a study of community-dwelling older adults. The project has been described in detail elsewhere. 20 Briefly, a sample of 2 550 older persons between 75and 90 years of age and living in the municipalities of Muurame and Jyväskylä, both located in Central Finland, was drawn from the population register. A telephone interview was used to screen eligible participants based on the inclusion criteria, which were: living independently, residing in the recruitment area, being able to communicate, and willingness to participate in the study. The final data set comprised 848 ind...

Hearing Impairment and Physical Function and Falls in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Hearing Pilot Study

“…Few studies have assessed the association between HI and performance‐based measures of physical function. The current results are consistent with previous reports of associations between HI and lower SPPB scores …”

The Association between Hearing Loss, Postural Control, and Mobility in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Numbers of participants and sample characteristics varied across studies. Numbers of participants ranged from 14 (Rumalla et al, 2015) to several hundred (434 [Viljanen et al, 2009a;2009b], 706 [Gispen et al, 2014], 848 [Mikkola et al, 2015a]) to .2,000 (2,190 [Chen et al, 2015]; 3,982 [Tomioka et al, 2015]). Five studies included males and females; two studies were based on the same cohort of twin females (Viljanen, et al, 2009a;2009b).…”

“…Covariates and risk factors were obtained using selfreported data, structured questionnaires, and physical assessments. Body mass index (BMI; based on selfreported or measured height and weight) was calculated in five of the seven studies (Viljanen et al, 2009a;2009b;Gispen et al, 2014;Mikkola et al, 2015a;Tomioka et al, 2015). Average BMI values, when reported, ranged from 25 to 28, and were generally similar between the study groups.…”

“…Average BMI values, when reported, ranged from 25 to 28, and were generally similar between the study groups. Cognitive status was measured in four of the studies, using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (Viljanen et al, 2009a;2009b;Mikkola et al, 2015a;Tomioka et al, 2015). Average MMSE scores were generally within the normal range, but participants with cognitive impairment were also included in two of the studies (Mikkola et al, 2015a;Tomioka et al, 2015).…”

“…Cognitive status was measured in four of the studies, using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (Viljanen et al, 2009a;2009b;Mikkola et al, 2015a;Tomioka et al, 2015). Average MMSE scores were generally within the normal range, but participants with cognitive impairment were also included in two of the studies (Mikkola et al, 2015a;Tomioka et al, 2015). In the work of Tomioka et al 2015, 7.8% of the participants with a hearing handicap (HH) and 4.3% of the participants without a HH had MMSE scores of #23; and in the work of Mikkola et al (2015a), the large standard deviation (SD) in the major-hearing-problem group indicated the existence of low MMSE scores as well.…”