Hearing Loss, Difficulty With Activities of Daily Living, and Experience of Consequences of Related Unmet Needs in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Purpose: Experiencing difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) and/or the consequences of unmet ADL/IADL-related needs is associated with adverse health-related outcomes. The association of hearing loss (HL) with experiencing the consequences of unmet ADL/IADL-related needs is not well understood. We investigated the associations of HL with experiencing ADL/IADL difficulties and the consequences of unmet ADL/IADL-related needs in older adults. Method: We investigated cross-sectional associations between audiometric HL, the number of ADL and IADL difficulties, and the number of consequences of unmet ADL/IADL-related needs among adults aged 65 years and older in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Results: In 4,724 older adults, 30.5% ( n = 1,736) and 30.9% ( n = 1,727) had self-reported difficulty with ADLs and IADLs, respectively. Of the 2,289 participants who reported difficulty with at least one ADL/IADL, 14.0% ( n = 741) reported experience of at least one consequence of an unmet ADL/IADL-related need. In multivariable ordinal regression analyses, mild ( OR = 1.38, 95% CI [1.1, 1.73]) and moderate or greater ( OR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.17, 2.1]) HL were associated with higher odds of difficulties with additional ADLs. Moderate or greater HL was associated with higher odds of reporting difficulties with additional IADLs ( OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.19, 2.12]). There was no significant association between HL and higher odds of having additional consequences of unmet needs. Conclusions: Our results show an association between HL and a higher number of ADL and IADL difficulties. Adults with HL may require increased support to address difficulties with daily activities and prevent experiencing related consequences. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28300049