Abstract
PurposeHearing loss is common and associated with reduced quality of life, particularly among elderly people. However, many patients do not use hearing aids. We evaluated the use of hearing aids among people with hearing loss by health services availability near their residence in a rural area in the state of Brandenburg, Germany.MethodsAudiometry was performed in a convenience sample of subjects in ten towns and hearing loss was determined, defined as a threshold of ≥ 30 dB in at least one ear and at least one of the frequencies 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kHz. For each participant, age and gender were collected and whether or not hearing aids were available.ResultsAmong 186 persons with an average age of 74 years (interquartile range 71–81), 97% had hearing loss [95% confidence interval (CI) 95–100]. Among 121 patients with hearing loss who reported whether or not they have a hearing aid, 93 had no hearing aid (77%, 95% CI 69–84). The proportion of hearing-impaired persons who do not have a hearing aid significantly increased with the absence of a hearing aid specialist or ear nose throat (ENT) physician or both in the town where the tests were performed (p trend = 0.001).ConclusionHearing loss is common among elderly people in the study area and many people in rural areas in Germany may not be properly supplied with hearing aids due to lack of hearing aid specialists and/or ENT physicians close to their residence. Interventions to improve this situation are urgently required.
Highlights
Over 5% of the world’s population suffer from hearing impairment defined as hearing loss greater than 40 dB in the better hearing ear for adults and greater than 30 dB for children
The proportion of patients with hearing loss who do not have a hearing aid is increasing from 45 patients (67%) in towns with an ear nose throat (ENT) physician and a hearing aid technician (Bad Belzig, Premnitz/Genthin) to 24 (80%) in towns with only a hearing aid technician (Rathenow) to 24 patients (100%) in towns with neither profession (Ziesar and Lehnin/Brück/Treuenbrietzen), which is a significant trend (p = 0.001) (Table 2)
In a cross-sectional convenience sample of mostly elderly people from ten rural towns in the German state of Brandenburg, we observed a high proportion of patients with hearing loss
Summary
Over 5% of the world’s population suffer from hearing impairment defined as hearing loss greater than 40 dB in the better hearing ear for adults and greater than 30 dB for children. It is estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people—or one in ten—will have disabling hearing loss [1]. The most common cause of hearing impairment in elderly people is age-related hearing loss or presbyacusis. Other causes for Hearing loss can have profound effects on health, since it is associated with poor cognitive performance [3], increased risk of falls [4], acceleration of dementia [5], social isolation and psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety and schizophrenia [6–8]. Hearing loss is the fourth (men) and seventh (women) leading cause of years lived with disability in the Global Burden of Disease Study [9], higher than many other diseases such as stroke, falls and dementia. A recent systematic review on hearing loss in Germany [10] identified only six available cross-sectional studies [11–16].
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