Can hearing handicap be linked to frailty? A cross-sectional study

Purpose  To investigate potential association between different types of frailty and hearing handicap in the older population.

Methods  A study was conducted on frailty among older adults in the context of social vulnerability. The study involved 229 participants who underwent physical, cognitive, and social frailty assessments. Physical frailty was assessed using Fried's Frailty Phenotype, while cognitive frailty was characterized by the presence of physical frailty and cognitive decline. The Makizako index was used to assess social frailty, and the HHIE-S questionnaire was applied to quantify hearing handicap. Participation restrictions related to hearing difficulties were explored in relation to the three types of frailty using logistic regression.

Results  Hearing handicap were found to be associated with physical, cognitive, and social frailties. However, in a multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, the emotional scale of HHIE-S was only a predictive factor for physical frailty, along with older age, lower education, and the presence of comorbidities. Age and the presence of comorbidities were the only associated explanatory variables for cognitive frailty. Social frailty was only associated with the presence of cognitive changes.

Conclusion  Hearing loss-related participation restrictions can be a significant challenge for older adults. Those who also have an emotional impairment, caused by hearing loss, are even more vulnerable to becoming frail or pre-frail. It’s important to prioritize the needs of this population and provide the necessary support to enhance their quality of life and prevent further decline.

Keywords:
Aged; Frailty; Cognition; Social Support; Hearing Loss