OBJECTIVE: There is a substantial lack of knowledge of the impact of reduced hearing on psychosocial functioning in adults younger than 70 yr. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hearing status and psychosocial health in adults aged between 18 and 70 yr. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional cohort study. Baseline data of the National Longitudinal Study on Hearing are analyzed using regression models. The cohort consisted of 1511 participants. Hearing status was determined using the National Hearing test, a recently launched speech-in-noise screening test over the Internet. We assessed self-reported psychosocial health using a set of online questionnaires. RESULTS: Adjusting for confounding variables, significant adverse associations between hearing status and distress, somatization, depression, and loneliness are found. For every decibel signal to noise ratio (dB SNR) reduction of hearing status, both the distress and somatization scores increased by 2% [distress: b = 0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.00 to 0.03, p = 0.03; somatization: b = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.04, p < 0.001]. The odds for developing moderate or severe depression increase by 5% for every dB SNR reduction in hearing (odds ratio = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.09, p = 0.03). The odds for developing severe or very severe loneliness significantly increase by 7% for every dB SNR reduction in hearing (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.12, p = 0.004). Different age groups exhibit different associations between hearing status and psychosocial health, with loneliness being an issue particularly in the youngest age group (18 to 30 yr). In the group of middle-aged adults (40 to 50 yr), the number of significant associations is highest. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing status is negatively associated with higher distress, depression, somatization, and loneliness in young and middle-aged adults. The associations are different in different age groups. The findings underline the need to seriously address the adverse effects of limited hearing among young and middle-aged adults both in future research and in clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE: There is a substantial lack of knowledge of the impact of reduced hearing on psychosocial functioning in adults younger than 70 yr. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hearing status and psychosocial health in adults aged between 18 and 70 yr. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional cohort study. Baseline data of the National Longitudinal Study on Hearing are analyzed using regression models. The cohort consisted of 1511 participants. Hearing status was determined using the National Hearing test, a recently launched speech-in-noise screening test over the Internet. We assessed self-reported psychosocial health using a set of online questionnaires. RESULTS: Adjusting for confounding variables, significant adverse associations between hearing status and distress, somatization, depression, and loneliness are found. For every decibel signal to noise ratio (dB SNR) reduction of hearing status, both the distress and somatization scores increased by 2% [distress: b = 0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.00 to 0.03, p = 0.03; somatization: b = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.04, p < 0.001]. The odds for developing moderate or severe depression increase by 5% for every dB SNR reduction in hearing (odds ratio = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.09, p = 0.03). The odds for developing severe or very severe loneliness significantly increase by 7% for every dB SNR reduction in hearing (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.12, p = 0.004). Different age groups exhibit different associations between hearing status and psychosocial health, with loneliness being an issue particularly in the youngest age group (18 to 30 yr). In the group of middle-aged adults (40 to 50 yr), the number of significant associations is highest. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing status is negatively associated with higher distress, depression, somatization, and loneliness in young and middle-aged adults. The associations are different in different age groups. The findings underline the need to seriously address the adverse effects of limited hearing among young and middle-aged adults both in future research and in clinical practice.
Authors: Samantha J Kleindienst; David A Zapala; Donald W Nielsen; James W Griffith; Dania Rishiq; Larry Lundy; Sumitrajit Dhar Journal: JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Date: 2017-10-01 Impact factor: 6.223
Authors: Jaishri O Blakeley; D Gareth Evans; John Adler; Derald Brackmann; Ruihong Chen; Rosalie E Ferner; C Oliver Hanemann; Gordon Harris; Susan M Huson; Abraham Jacob; Michel Kalamarides; Matthias A Karajannis; Bruce R Korf; Victor-Felix Mautner; Andrea I McClatchey; Harry Miao; Scott R Plotkin; William Slattery; Anat O Stemmer-Rachamimov; D Bradley Welling; Patrick Y Wen; Brigitte Widemann; Kim Hunter-Schaedle; Marco Giovannini Journal: Am J Med Genet A Date: 2011-12-02 Impact factor: 2.802
Authors: Kevin J Contrera; Josh Betz; Jennifer Deal; Janet S Choi; Hilsa N Ayonayon; Tamara Harris; Elizabeth Helzner; Kathryn R Martin; Kala Mehta; Sheila Pratt; Susan M Rubin; Suzanne Satterfield; Kristine Yaffe; Eleanor M Simonsick; Frank R Lin Journal: J Aging Health Date: 2016-07-08
Authors: Chuan-Ming Li; Xinzhi Zhang; Howard J Hoffman; Mary Frances Cotch; Christa L Themann; M Roy Wilson Journal: JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Date: 2014-04 Impact factor: 6.223
Authors: Franco Scinicariello; Jennifer Przybyla; Yulia Carroll; John Eichwald; John Decker; Patrick N Breysse Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2018-06-18 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Scott D Nash; Karen J Cruickshanks; Guan-Hua Huang; Barbara E K Klein; Ronald Klein; F Javier Nieto; Theodore S Tweed Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2013-04-18 Impact factor: 9.308