Sex-specific predictors of hearing-aid use in older persons: The age, gene/environment susceptibility - Reykjavik study

• Other Authors: Fisher, Diana E., Li, Chuan-Ming, Hoffman, Howard J., Chiu, May S., Themann, Christa L., Petersen, Hannes, Jonsson, Palmi V., Jonsson, Helgi, Jonasson, Fridbert, Sverrisdottir, Johanna Eyrun, Launer, Lenore J., Eiriksdottir, Gudny, Gudnason, Vilmundur, Cotch, Mary Frances
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Article; Age-related hearing loss; hearing impairment; hearing aids; older persons; sex differences; Aged; 80 and over; Audiometry; Pure-Tone; Auditory Threshold; Cognition; Cohort Studies; Correction of Hearing Impairment; Diabetes Mellitus; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Female; Hearing; Hearing Loss; Humans; Iceland; Male; Motor Activity; Osteoarthritis; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Sex Factors
• Online Access: http://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/36847/

Objective We estimate the prevalence of hearing-aid use in Iceland and identify sex-specific factors associated with use. Design Population-based cohort study. Study sample A total of 5172 age, gene/environment susceptibility - Reykjavik study (AGES-RS) participants, aged 67 to 96 years (mean age 76.5 years), who completed air-conduction and pure-tone audiometry. Results Hearing-aid use was reported by 23.0% of men and 15.9% of women in the cohort, although among participants with at least moderate hearing loss in the better ear (pure-tone average [PTA] of thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz ≥ 35 dB hearing level [HL]) it was 49.9% and did not differ by sex. Self-reported hearing loss was the strongest predictor of hearing-aid use in men [OR: 2.68 (95% CI: 1.77, 4.08)] and women [OR: 3.07 (95% CI: 1.94, 4.86)], followed by hearing loss severity based on audiometry. Having diabetes or osteoarthritis were significant positive predictors of use in men, whereas greater physical activity and unimpaired cognitive status were important in women. Conclusions Hearing-aid use was comparable in Icelandic men and women with moderate or greater hearing loss. Self-recognition of hearing loss was the factor most predictive of hearing-aid use; other influential factors differed for men and women. CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States IAA Y2-DC-1004-02/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/United States N01 AG012100/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States N01-AG-12100/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States Z01 AG007380-02/Intramural NIH HHS/United States Z01 EY000401-06/Intramural NIH HHS/United States Z01 EY000401-07/Intramural NIH HHS/United States Z99 EY999999/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-08/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-09/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-10/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-11/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-12/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-13/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIA EY000401-14/Intramural NIH HHS/United States ZIAAG007380/PHS HHS/United States ZIAEY000401/PHS HHS/United States 2016-09-01T00:00:00Z 25816699 PMC4536127