Hearing aids in the elderly: quality of life and inequality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34631/sporl.2056Keywords:
Presbycusis, Hearing aids, Quality of life, ElderlyAbstract
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of hearing aids (HA) on the quality of life of patients with presbycusis and identify the causes for not using them.Study design: Retrospective cohort.
Materials and methods: The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) was applied to patients with presbycusis, with indication for HA, followed in the ENT Service of a tertiary hospital between 2021 and 2022. Patients who did not use HA answered the closed question “Why don't you use HA?”.
Results: Ninety-nine patients were included in the study, 47% of which were HA users. In the group of HA users, the average score for HHIE decreased from 24 to 7 points after use. The group of patients who did not use HA pointed out economic problems (46%) as the main reason for not using it.
Conclusion: Our study confirmed the benefit of HA on quality of life and that limited financial resources are the main reason for non-use.
References
- Healthy people 2010. [Internet] U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2010. Available from: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL14507291M/Healthy_people_2010
- Lotfi Y, Mehrkian S, Moossavi A, Faghih-Zadeh S. Quality of life improvement in hearing-impaired elderly people after wearing a hearing aid. Arch Iran Med. 2009 Jul;12(4):365-70.
- Sprinzl GM, Riechelmann H. Current trends in treating hearing loss in elderly people: a review of the technology and treatment options – a mini-review. Gerontology. 2010;56(3):351-8. doi: 10.1159/000275062.
- Lin FR, Thorpe R, Gordon-Salant S, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss prevalence and risk factors among older adults in the United States. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2011 May;66(5):582-90. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glr002.
- Nash SD, Cruickshanks KJ, Klein R, Klein BE, Nieto FJ, Huang GH. et al. The prevalence of hearing impairment and associated risk factors: the Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011 May;137(5):432-9. doi: 10.1001/archoto.2011.15.
- Ribeiro UASL, Souza VC, Lemos SMA. Qualidade de vida e determinantes sociais em usuários de aparelho de amplificação sonora individual. Codas. 2019 Apr 1;31(2):e20170287. doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/20182017287.
- Chisolm TH, Johnson CE, Danhauer JL, Portz LJ, Abrams HB, Lesner S. et al. A systematic review of health-related quality of life and hearing aids: final report of the American Academy of Audiology Task Force on the Health-Related Quality of Life Benefits of Amplification in Adults. J Am Acad Audiol. 2007 Feb;18(2):151-83. doi: 10.3766/jaaa.18.2.7.
- Fortunato S, Forli F, Guglielmi V, De Corso E, Paludetti G, Berrettini S. et al. A review of new insights on the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline in ageing. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2016 Jun;36(3):155-66. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-993.
- Hyams AV, Hay-McCutcheon M, Scogin F. Hearing and quality of life in older adults. J Clin Psychol. 2018 Oct;74(10):1874-1883. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22648.
- Ventry IM, Weinstein BE. The hearing handicap inventory for the elderly: a new tool. Ear Hear. 1982 May-Jun;3(3):128-34. doi: 10.1097/00003446-198205000-00006.
- Martins J, Serrano M. Deficiência auditiva: sua percepção. Audiologia em Revista. 2010; 3(4): 96-102.
- Taljaard DS, Olaithe M, Brennan-Jones CG, Eikelboom RH, Bucks RS. The relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive function: a meta-analysis in adults. Clin Otolaryngol. 2016 Dec;41(6):718-729. doi: 10.1111/coa.12607.
- Portugal. Decreto-Lei nº 93/2009 de 16 de Abril. Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidariedade Social. Diário da República, º 74 (Série I), 2275–2277.
- Ruusuvuori JE, Aaltonen T, Koskela I, Ranta J, Lonka E, Salmenlinna I. et al. Studies on stigma regarding hearing impairment and hearing aid use among adults of working age: a scoping review. Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Feb;43(3):436-446. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1622798.
- Food and Drug Administration. Department of Health and Human Service. Medical devices; ear, nose, and throat devices; establishing over-the-counter hearing aids. Federal Register, 2022-17230(87 FR 50698), 50698–50762. Available from: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-08-17/pdf/2022-17230.pdf
- NHS. Hearing aids and implants [Internet] [Accessed 2020 Sept 8] Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hearing-aids-and-implants/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Portuguese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
