@article{ref1,
title="Self-reported hearing loss and nonfatal fall-related injury in a nationally representative sample",
journal="Journal of the American Geriatrics Society",
year="2019",
author="Heitz, Elizabeth R. and Gianattasio, Kan Z. and Prather, Christina and Talegawkar, Sameera A. and Power, Melinda C.",
volume="67",
number="7",
pages="1410-1416",
abstract="BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between self-reported hearing loss and nonfatal fall-related injury in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults living in the United States. <br><br>DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of national survey data. SETTING: National Health Interview Survey (2016). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 30 994 community-dwelling adults in the United States, aged 18 years and older. MEASUREMENTS: We evaluated the association between self-reported hearing loss and nonfatal injury resulting from a fall in the previous 3 months. We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and evaluated effect measure modification by age. <br><br>RESULTS: The odds of nonfatal fall-related injury were 1.60 times higher among respondents with hearing loss compared to respondents without hearing loss (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-2.12; P = .0012). <br><br>RESULTS were unchanged when adjusting for demographics (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.18-2.15; P = .002). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease, visual impairment, and limitation caused by nervous system/sensory organ conditions and depression, anxiety, or another emotional problem, the OR fell to 1.27 (95% CI = 0.92-1.74; P = .14). In the fully adjusted model, including adjustment for vestibular vertigo, there was little support to link hearing loss and fall-related injury (OR = 1.16; 95% CI = 0.84-1.60; P = .36). Effect modification by age was not observed. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported hearing loss may be a clinically useful indicator of increased fall risk, but treatment for hearing loss is unlikely to mitigate this risk, given that there is no independent association between self-reported hearing loss and nonfatal falls after accounting for vestibular function and other potential confounders.<br><br>© 2019 The American Geriatrics Society.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0002-8614",
doi="10.1111/jgs.15849",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15849"
}