Prevalence and 5-Year Incidence of Dual Sensory Impairment in an Older Australian Population

• Published in: Annals of epidemiology 2012-04, Vol.22 (4), p.295-301
• Main Authors: Schneider, Julie, PhD, Gopinath, Bamini, PhD, McMahon, Catherine, PhD, Teber, Erdahl, PhD, Leeder, Stephen R., MD, PhD, Wang, Jie Jin, PhD, Mitchell, Paul, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Age Factors; Age-Related Hearing Loss; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Australia - epidemiology; Blue Mountains Eye Study; Blue Mountains Hearing Study; Dual Sensory Impairment; Education; Female; Hearing Loss - epidemiology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Middle Aged; Mountains; Persons With Hearing Impairments - statistics & numerical data; Risk factors; Subpopulations; Vision; Vision Disorders - epidemiology; Vision Loss; Visually Impaired Persons - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 1047-2797; 1873-2585
• DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2012.02.004

Purpose To report prevalence and 5-year incidence of dual sensory impairment (DSI), and associated risk factors, in an older population. Methods We included 2015 Blue Mountains Hearing Study participants aged ≥55 years, examined between 1997 and 1999 (baseline) and 2002 and 2004. Hearing thresholds were measured with the use of pure-tone audiometry. Visual acuity was measured with a LogMar chart while the subject wore distance glasses, if they owned a pair. DSI was defined as combined presenting visual acuity (better eye) 25 dB HL. The incidence of DSI was considered by the use of two at-risk subpopulations: (i) participants with no sensory impairment and; (ii) with one type of sensory impairment at baseline. Results The prevalence of DSI was 6% at baseline, increasing from 0% for ages