Abstract
BackgroundHearing loss, a highly prevalent sensory impairment affecting older adults, is a risk factor for cognition decline. However, there were very limited studies on this association in low-resource countries. This study aimed to assess the association between self-reported hearing loss and cognitive decline, and whether engagement in leisure activities moderated this association among older adults in China.MethodsData were obtained from two waves of the nationally representative survey of China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) between 2011/12–2014. Eight thousand eight hundred forty-four individuals aged 65 years old or above with a dichotomized measure of self-reported hearing status were included. Modified Mini-Mental Examination (MMSE) was used to measure global cognition. Fixed-effects models were used to estimate whether leisure activity engagement moderated the association of self-perceived hearing loss with global cognitive change in the overall sample and sex subsamples.ResultsSelf-reported hearing loss was associated with cognitive impairment, with an odds ratio of 2.48 [1.22, 5.06]. Sex difference in the association of hearing loss and cognitive impairment was not found. Self-reported hearing loss was associated with cognitive decline, with 8% increase in risk compared with those with normal hearing. Frequent engagement in leisure activities moderated the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline for the whole and male samples.ConclusionHearing loss was associated with cognitive decline, and leisure activities engagement moderated the association among males rather than females.
Highlights
Hearing loss, a highly prevalent sensory impairment affecting older adults, is a risk factor for cognition decline
Age-related hearing loss may be associated with an increased risk of dementia in later life, which has garnered increasing attention as a potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline [10,11,12]
The proportion of participants having cognitive impairment decreased from 8% (n = 749) to 6% (n = 336) over two waves, while the proportion for hearing loss decreased from 44% (n = 3937) in wave 1 to 39% (n = 2137) in wave 2
Summary
A highly prevalent sensory impairment affecting older adults, is a risk factor for cognition decline. This study aimed to assess the association between self-reported hearing loss and cognitive decline, and whether engagement in leisure activities moderated this association among older adults in China. Dementia is a major global public health concern It affected approximately 50 million people worldwide [1]. A prevalent chronic condition in older adults, is a key risk factor of cognitive impairment and dementia [10,11,12]. Age-related hearing loss may be associated with an increased risk of dementia in later life, which has garnered increasing attention as a potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline [10,11,12]. Studies have indicated that hearing aid use confers a mitigating effect on the trajectories of cognitive decline by maintaining cognitive function, such as episodic memory [17, 18]
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