Aging, Author Interviews, Geriatrics, Hearing Loss, JAMA / 31.07.2023
“I Can’t Hear You”……Study Finds Most Older Adults Have Hearing Loss
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Nicholas S. Reed, AuD PhD
Assistant Professor | Department of Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: To date, national estimates of hearing loss have often been based on self-report, which is a fine metric in its own right but underestimates the prevalence of hearing loss against criterion standard measures, and most studies with criterion-level hearing measures are limited to relatively younger samples of older adults. For example, some previous nationally representative samples don't allow reporting age data over 80 years because there aren't enough participants in that age group. It is not surprising given that it is difficult to design nationally representative studies that truly allow older adults (80+ years) to participate and measuring hearing can be onerous. However, understanding the prevalence of hearing loss in this age group is vital for public health and policy planning efforts to address hearing loss at the national level.
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