Self-reported hearing, vision and quality of life: Older people in New Zealand

Shiran Zhang; Simon Moyes; Chris McLean; Grant Searchfield; David Welch; Robert Jacobs; Ngaire Kerse

doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00627.x

Self-reported hearing, vision and quality of life: Older people in New Zealand

Australas J Ageing. 2016 Jun;35(2):98-105. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00627.x. Epub 2012 Oct 17.

Authors

Shiran Zhang¹, Simon Moyes¹, Chris McLean¹, Grant Searchfield², David Welch², Robert Jacobs³, Ngaire Kerse¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
² Audiology Section, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
³ Department of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 24521436
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00627.x

Abstract

Aim: To establish associations between sensory-related disability and quality of life (QOL).

Methods: A total of 3817 people aged 75 years and older, including 173 Māori aged 61 years and older, were surveyed. Measures included: sociodemographic and health factors; World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL)-BREF for QOL; and self-rated hearing- and vision-related disability.

Results: Hearing disability was reported by 866 (51%) men and 736 (36%) women. A total of 974 (26% of all, 61% of hearing disabled) used hearing aids. A total of 513 (30%) men and 618 (30%) women reported vision disability. Vision and hearing disability were both independently associated with lower QOL, with hearing difficulty affecting physical and social domains more, and the environmental domain least. Vision difficulty impacted the environmental domain most and the social domain least. QOL impact was higher for those with both hearing and visual disability (631, 17%).

Conclusions: Hearing and vision disability are associated with poorer QOL.

Keywords: disability; hearing; quality of life; vision.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging / psychology*
Auditory Perception
Contact Lenses
Cost of Illness
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disability Evaluation
Eyeglasses
Female
Health Surveys
Hearing Aids
Hearing Disorders / diagnosis
Hearing Disorders / epidemiology
Hearing Disorders / psychology*
Hearing Disorders / therapy
Humans
Linear Models
Male
Multivariate Analysis
New Zealand / epidemiology
Persons With Hearing Impairments / psychology*
Persons With Hearing Impairments / rehabilitation
Prevalence
Quality of Life*
Risk Factors
Self Report
Social Behavior
Vision Disorders / diagnosis
Vision Disorders / epidemiology
Vision Disorders / psychology*
Vision Disorders / rehabilitation
Visual Perception
Visually Impaired Persons / psychology*
Visually Impaired Persons / rehabilitation