Impact of Hearing Loss Treatment on Physical Activity in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Schrack Jennifer, Wanigatunga Amal
Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Hypothesis
Does hearing loss treatment reduce the decline in physical activity among older adults?
Conclusion
The hearing intervention did not prevent declines in physical activity over three years for older adults with hearing loss.
Supporting Evidence
- Hearing impairment is common in older adults and linked to lower physical activity.
- The study involved a hearing intervention and a health education control group.
- Physical activity was measured using wrist-worn accelerometers over three years.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether treating hearing loss helps older people stay active, but it found that it didn't make a difference.
Methodology
The study used two-level linear mixed effects models and function-on-scalar regression to analyze physical activity data from older adults with hearing loss.
Limitations
The findings may have been influenced by the content of the successful aging program and the relatively short follow-up time.
Participant Demographics
Participants were on average 76 years old, 89% White, 52% female, and 53% had a Bachelor's degree or higher.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
[-61,873, -37,294] for activity counts/day and [-11.4, -6.1] for active minutes/day.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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