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J Am Acad Audiol 2000; 11(02): 67-75
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748012
Original Article

Self-Reported Hearing Handicap and Audiometric Measures in Older Adults

Terry L. Wiley
Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
,
Karen J. Cruickshanks
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
,
David M. Nondahl
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
,
Ted S. Tweed
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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Abstract

As part of an epidemiologic study of hearing disorders in older adults, audiometric thresholds (250–20,000 Hz), word recognition performance (Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 word lists in quiet and in competing message), and Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S) scores were evaluated for 3178 adults ranging in age from 48 to 92 years. Overall, higher HHIE-S scores were more prevalent for older age groups and for greater degrees of hearing loss. After adjusting for the degree of hearing loss, the probability of reporting a hearing disability (handicap) decreased with age.

Abbreviations: ANSI = American National Standards Institute, HHIE = Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly, HHIE-S = Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening, NU-6 = Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6, PTA = pure-tone average

Key Words

Aging - hearing disability - Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening - hearing impairment - presbyacusis


Publication History

Article published online:
06 April 2022

© 2000. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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