Self-reported hearing difficulties and changes in life-space mobility among community-dwelling older adults: a Two-year follow-Up study
Abstract
Background
Life-space mobility reflects individuals’ actual mobility and engagement with society. Difficulty in hearing is common among older adults and can complicate participation in everyday activities, thus restricting life-space mobility. The aim of this study was to examine whether self-reported hearing predicts changes in life-space mobility among older adults.
Methods
We conducted a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling older adults aged 75–90 years (n = 848). At-home face-to-face interviews at baseline and telephone follow-up were used. Participants responded to standardized questions on perceived hearing at baseline. Life-space mobility (the University of Alabama at Birmingham Life-Space Assessment, LSA, range 0–120) was assessed at baseline and one and two years thereafter. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the effect of hearing difficulties on changes in LSA scores.
Results
At baseline, participants with major hearing difficulties had a significantly lower life-space mobility score than those without hearing difficulties (mean 54, 95 % CI 50–58 vs. 57, 95 % CI 53–61, p = .040). Over the 2-year follow-up, the life-space mobility score declined in all hearing categories in a similar rate (main effect of time p < .001, group x time p = .164). Participants with mild or major hearing difficulties at baseline had significantly higher odds for restricted life-space (LSA score < 60) at two years (OR 1.8, 95 % CI 1.0–3.2 and 2.0, 95 % CI 1.0–3.9, respectively) compared to those without hearing difficulties. The analyses were adjusted for chronic conditions, age, sex and cognitive functioning.
Conclusions
People with major hearing difficulties had lower life-space mobility scores at baseline but did not exhibit accelerated decline over the follow-up compared to those without hearing difficulties. Life-space mobility describes older people’s possibilities for participating in out-of-home activities and access to community amenities, which are important building blocks of quality of life in old age. Early recognition of hearing difficulties may help prevent life-space restriction.
Main Authors
Format
Articles
Research article
Published
2015
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
BioMed Central Ltd.
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-201511033588Käytä tätä linkitykseen.
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1471-2318
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-015-0119-8
Language
English
Published in
BMC Geriatrics
Citation
- Polku, H., Mikkola, T., Rantakokko, M., Portegijs, E., Törmäkangas, T., Rantanen, T., & Viljanen, A. (2015). Self-reported hearing difficulties and changes in life-space mobility among community-dwelling older adults: a Two-year follow-Up study. BMC Geriatrics, 15, Article 121. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-015-0119-8
Copyright© 2015 Polku et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.