Association of Hearing Loss with Physical, Social, and Mental Activity Engagement.

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate a hearing loss intervention versus an aging education intervention on activity engagement in the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders pilot (ACHIEVE-P). Forty adults (70-84 years) with hearing loss recruited from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and de novo participated. Participants were randomized 1:1 to a best practices hearing intervention or a successful aging intervention. Hearing was measured with pure-tone audiometry. The Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire measured self-reported time engaging in activities at baseline and 6-month follow-up. At baseline, greater hearing loss was associated with reduced time per week on mental activities (-3.0\u2009hours per 10\u2009dB of hearing loss, 95% confidence interval: -5.8, -0.2). Mental activity engagement increased (mean: +1.3\u2009hours, SD\u2009=\u20096.6) for the hearing intervention group but decreased (mean: -1.1\u2009hours, SD\u2009=\u20094.8) for the aging education group (Cohen s d : 0.41). Hearing loss may be associated with reduced engagement in mental activities. Whether hearing loss treatment impacts activity will be studied in the full-scale ACHIEVE trial.