Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Hearing Health Care Among Older Americans

Carrie L Nieman; Nicole Marrone; Sarah L Szanton; Roland J Thorpe Jr; Frank R Lin

doi:10.1177/0898264315585505

Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Hearing Health Care Among Older Americans

J Aging Health. 2016 Feb;28(1):68-94. doi: 10.1177/0898264315585505. Epub 2015 May 7.

Authors

Carrie L Nieman¹, Nicole Marrone², Sarah L Szanton³, Roland J Thorpe Jr⁴, Frank R Lin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ University of Arizona, Tucson, USA Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ University of Arizona, Tucson, USA Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁵ Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA University of Arizona, Tucson, USA Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA flin1@jhmi.edu.

Abstract

Objective: Hearing impairment is highly prevalent, but little is known about hearing health care among older minority adults.

Method: We analyzed nationally representative, cross-sectional data from 1,544 older adults ≥ 70 years with audiometry and hearing care data from the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys.

Results: After adjusting for age and speech frequency pure tone average, Blacks (odds ratio [OR] = 1.68, vs. Whites) and those with greater education (OR = 1.63, ≥ college vs. < high school) were more likely to report recent hearing testing, while White older adults and those with greater socioeconomic status were more likely to report regular hearing aid use (all ps < .05). Based on a multivariate analysis, Blacks were not more likely than Whites to use hearing aids despite being more likely to have had recent hearing testing.

Discussion: Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist in hearing health care and represent critical areas for research and intervention.

Keywords: health care disparities; hearing health care; hearing loss; minority health; older adults.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Black or African American / statistics & numerical data*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Care Surveys
Healthcare Disparities* / ethnology
Hearing Aids / statistics & numerical data*
Hearing Tests / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Male
Mexican Americans / statistics & numerical data*
Multivariate Analysis
Socioeconomic Factors
United States
White People / statistics & numerical data*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding