Self‐Reported Hearing Loss and Nonfatal Fall‐Related Injury in a Nationally Representative Sample

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) 2019-07, Vol.67 (7), p.1410-1416
• Main Authors: Heitz, Elizabeth R., Gianattasio, Kan Z., Prather, Christina, Talegawkar, Sameera A., Power, Melinda C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anxiety; Cardiovascular diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; falls; fall‐related injury; Female; Health Surveys; Hearing loss; Hearing Loss - complications; Hearing protection; Humans; Independent Living; Male; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Nervous system; Risk Factors; Self Report; United States - epidemiology; Vertigo; vestibular function; Vestibular system
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/jgs.15849

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between self‐reported hearing loss and nonfatal fall‐related injury in a nationally representative sample of community‐dwelling adults living in the United States. DESIGN Cross‐sectional analysis of national survey data. SETTING National Health Interview Survey (2016). PARTICIPANTS A total of 30 994 community‐dwelling adults in the United States, aged 18 years and older. MEASUREMENTS We evaluated the association between self‐reported hearing loss and nonfatal injury resulting from a fall in the previous 3 months. We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and evaluated effect measure modification by age. RESULTS The odds of nonfatal fall‐related injury were 1.60 times higher among respondents with hearing loss compared to respondents without hearing loss (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20‐2.12; P = .0012). Results were unchanged when adjusting for demographics (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.18‐2.15; P = .002). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease, visual impairment, and limitation caused by nervous system/sensory organ conditions and depression, anxiety, or another emotional problem, the OR fell to 1.27 (95% CI = 0.92‐1.74; P = .14). In the fully adjusted model, including adjustment for vestibular vertigo, there was little support to link hearing loss and fall‐related injury (OR = 1.16; 95% CI = 0.84‐1.60; P = .36). Effect modification by age was not observed. CONCLUSIONS Self‐reported hearing loss may be a clinically useful indicator of increased fall risk, but treatment for hearing loss is unlikely to mitigate this risk, given that there is no independent association between self‐reported hearing loss and nonfatal falls after accounting for vestibular function and other potential confounders.