CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the impact of hearing status among older individuals on a variety of physical activities, and what association exists between hearing aid use and physical activity in individuals with hearing loss?
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February 2025BOTTOM LINE
Hearing loss is associated with reduced walking and a sedentary lifestyle, and the use of hearing aids is associated with improved physical activity.
BACKGROUND: Hearing loss causes a wide range of deficits and diminishes quality of life, particularly in the elderly. Daily walking has been associated with longer life expectancy and is especially important for older individuals. Studies have found that individuals with hearing loss are less physically active and hearing aid users are more so.
STUDY DESIGN: Survey study
SETTING: Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
SYNOPSIS: Researchers identified 1,391 non-hearing aid users (772 females) 60+ years of age from the 2019–2020 annual Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey and classified them into four groups: normal hearing (<25 dB; n=763), mild hearing loss (>25 dB and <40 dB; n=432), moderate hearing loss (>40 dB and <50 dB; n=136), and non-serviceable hearing (>50 dB; n=30). Researchers also extracted from the survey 37 hearing aid users with levels >50 dB. They assessed information on age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, daily/weekly walking time/frequency, strength training, sitting time, tympanometry results, and pure tone hearing threshold. Results showed the non-serviceable hearing group walked less frequently than the moderate and mild hearing loss groups and walked less and sat more than the normal hearing group. The hearing aid users walked more frequently and for longer than the non-serviceable hearing group. Authors cite past studies showing that adverse effects of hearing loss on functionality can be partially reversed by hearing aids and note that, given the impact of activity, or lack thereof, on elderly health, findings suggest that hearing aids should be provided to this population. Study limitations included the use of data from a previously conducted survey.
CITATION: Han SY, et al. Physical inactivity and sedentariness in older hearing loss patients: restoration with hearing aids. Laryngoscope. 2024;134(12):5109-5115. doi: 10.1002/lary.31638.