Download PDF
Semin Hear 2021; 42(01): 066-074
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1726016
Review Article

Self-Report Hearing and Injury or Falls in Older Adults from the National Health and Information Survey

Danielle S. Powell
1   Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
2   Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
,
Emmanuel E. Garcia Morales
2   Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
,
Sasha Pletnikova
3   Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
,
Jennifer A. Deal
1   Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
2   Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
3   Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
,
Nicholas S. Reed
1   Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
2   Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
3   Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the association between hearing and nonfatal injury or falls in a nationally representative sample of adults from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) utilizing over 20 years of participant surveys. We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis of participant surveys (aged 50 years and older) from 1997 to 2017. Self-report hearing difficulty, history of injury over the last 3 months, reported injury from fall over the last 3 months, and reported reason for fall (including due to balance/dizziness) were collected. Using logistic regression, we investigated the odds of injury, injury from fall, and fall due to balance/dizziness by self-report hearing status. In secondary analysis, we investigated the odds of each outcome by reported hearing aid use. Models were adjusted for demographics, year of study, vision difficulty, diabetes, employment, and cardiovascular disease. Reported moderate or greater difficulty hearing demonstrated a significantly greater odds of injury (odds ratio [OR]: 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18, 1.42) or fall due to balance/dizziness (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.60) compared with reported excellent/good hearing. A dose–response association was seen across levels of reported difficulty hearing for all outcomes. In this nationally representative study of adults aged 50 years and older, greater reported difficulty hearing was significantly associated with increased odds of injury and suggests greater odds of falls or fall due to balance/dizziness compared with reported good hearing. Results suggest hearing loss should be considered as a possible risk factor for both injury and fall prevention studies and programming in older adults.

Keywords

hearing - hearing difficulty - injury - falls


Publication History

Article published online:
15 April 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

  • References

  • 1 Binder S. Injuries among older adults: the challenge of optimizing safety and minimizing unintended consequences. Inj Prev 2002; 8 (Suppl. 04) IV2-IV4
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Atlanta, GA: CDC; 2017 . Accessed February 5, 2021 at: www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Burns ER, Stevens JA, Lee R. The direct costs of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults - United States. J Safety Res 2016; 58: 99-103
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Bergen G, Stevens MR, Burns ER. Falls and fall injuries among adults aged ≥65 years - United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016; 65 (37) 993-998
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Anstey KJ, Wood J, Lord S, Walker JG. Cognitive, sensory and physical factors enabling driving safety in older adults. Clin Psychol Rev 2005; 25 (01) 45-65
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Edwards JD, Lister JJ, Lin FR, Andel R, Brown L, Wood JM. Association of hearing impairment and subsequent driving mobility in older adults. Gerontologist 2017; 57 (04) 767-775
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Jiam NT-L, Li C, Agrawal Y. Hearing loss and falls: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Laryngoscope 2016; 126 (11) 2587-2596
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Campos J, Ramkhalawansingh R, Pichora-Fuller MK. Hearing, self-motion perception, mobility, and aging. Hear Res 2018; 369: 42-55
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Blewett LA, Drew JAR, King ML, Williams KCW. IPUMS Health Surveys: National Health Interview Survey, Version 6.4 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS; 2019. . Accessed February 5, 2021 at: https://doi.org/10.18128/D070.V6.4
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Lin FR, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and falls among older adults in the United States. Arch Intern Med 2012; 172 (04) 369-371
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Heitz ER, Gianattasio KZ, Prather C, Talegawkar SA, Power MC. Self-reported hearing loss and nonfatal fall-related injury in a nationally representative sample. J Am Geriatr Soc 2019; 67 (07) 1410-1416
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Purchase-Helzner EL, Cauley JA, Faulkner KA. et al. Hearing sensitivity and the risk of incident falls and fracture in older women: the study of osteoporotic fractures. Ann Epidemiol 2004; 14 (05) 311-318
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Green KA, McGwin Jr G, Owsley C. Associations between visual, hearing, and dual sensory impairments and history of motor vehicle collision involvement of older drivers. J Am Geriatr Soc 2013; 61 (02) 252-257
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Ivers RQ, Mitchell P, Cumming RG. Sensory impairment and driving: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Am J Public Health 1999; 89 (01) 85-87
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Gordis L. Epidemiology. 5th ed.. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014: 266-270
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Rubenstein LZ. Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for prevention. Age Ageing 2006; 35 (Suppl. 02) ii37-ii41
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Chia E-M, Mitchell P, Rochtchina E, Foran S, Golding M, Wang JJ. Association between vision and hearing impairments and their combined effects on quality of life. Arch Ophthalmol 2006; 124 (10) 1465-1470
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Rumalla K, Karim AM, Hullar TE. The effect of hearing aids on postural stability. Laryngoscope 2015; 125 (03) 720-723
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 McDaniel DM, Motts SD, Neeley RA. Effects of bilateral hearing aid use on balance in experienced adult hearing aid users. Am J Audiol 2018; 27 (01) 121-125
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Bhasin S, Gill TM, Reuben DB. et al; STRIDE Trial Investigators. A randomized trial of a multifactorial strategy to prevent serious fall injuries. N Engl J Med 2020; 383 (02) 129-140
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar