Prevalence And Severity of Hearing Loss in Adults Aged 55 or Above
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/ljsla.v4i1.38Keywords:
Prevalence, hearing loss, adults aged ≥55 years, pure tone audiometry, sensorineural hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hearing aids.Abstract
Background: Hearing loss in older adults has become a significant public health concern, particularly in terms of its effect on communication, quality of life, neurocognitive, and psychosocial outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of hearing loss in adults aged 55 years and above in a clinical population. In addition, hearing loss was characterized by type, laterality, and some health-related factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from September to December 2024 in the Audiology Department of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Shadman Lahore, and a hearing clinic/audiology centre in Lahore. Pure tone audiometry was conducted on 138 adults aged 55 years and above. The participants' demographic/clinical characteristics, such as diabetes, hypertension, noise exposure, dementia, depression, and hearing aid use, were noted on a structured proforma. Hearing loss was defined as a better ear average of >25 dB. Hearing loss was characterized by severity, type, and laterality. Associations were tested by chi-square, and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The participants' mean age was 65.57±10.65 years. Among them, 77 (55.8%) were males. Hearing loss was found in 81 out of 138 participants (58.7%). Among hearing-impaired participants, 66 out of 81 were found to have sensorineural hearing loss. Moreover, 74 out of 81 participants experienced hearing loss in both ears. The severity distribution of hearing loss was mild in 12/81 (14.8%), moderate in 37/81 (45.7%), severe in 22/81 (27.2%), and profound in 10/81 (12.3%). Type of hearing loss was significantly associated with severity. Furthermore, severity was significantly associated with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Hearing aid/assistive device use was reported in 31/138 (22.5%). Conclusion: Hearing loss in this study was found to be highly prevalent among adults aged ≥55 years, predominantly bilateral sensorineural hearing loss of moderate to severe degree, with poor utilization of rehabilitation options. Routine screening for hearing loss among this age group would be beneficial.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ayesha Masood Rana, Saqib Mehmood, Faiza Mushtaq, Hafiza Fatima Rafique, Yashel Waseem, Khadija Ali, Hifsa Mehmood, Umaima Sajjad, Hassan Masood
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles published in the Journal of Speech, Language and Audiology (JSLA) are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant JSLA a non-exclusive license to publish. Users may freely copy, redistribute, remix, and build upon the work for any purpose, including commercial use, provided appropriate credit is given to the author(s), a link to the license is included, and any changes are indicated.
