Dataset Information

The Association Between Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Loss of Usual Source of Health Care Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries: Evidence From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

The purpose of the study is to investigate the association of hearing loss (HL) with maintaining a usual source of care (USOC).

Research design and methods

In this study we implemented a time-to-event analysis using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative study of older Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. The study sample included 2 114 older adults, aged 65+ years, 58.9% female, 20.4% Black, who reported having a USOC during the baseline round of NHATS and who remained community-dwelling during the 2011-2018 study period. Based on self-report measures at baseline, individuals' hearing status was classified into 3 categories: no HL, treated HL (hearing aids users), and untreated HL (nonhearing aid users who reported having hearing difficulties). Time-to-event was computed as the time elapsed between baseline and the study round in which the respondent first reported no longer having a USOC. Discrete-time proportional hazard models were estimated.

Results

In fully adjusted models, untreated HL at baseline was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) for losing one's USOC 1.60 (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 2.56) times higher than that of participants with no HL. We found no HR differences between the treated- and no-HL group.

Discussion and implications

Untreated HL at baseline was associated with a higher probability of losing one's USOC over time. Noninvasive interventions such as hearing aids may be beneficial for maintaining a USOC.

SUBMITTER: Garcia Morales E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9999675 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The Association Between Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Loss of Usual Source of Health Care Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries: Evidence From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Garcia Morales Emmanuel E Assi Lama L Powell Danielle D Luu Kayti K Reed Nicholas N

Innovation in aging 20230116 1

<h4>Background and objectives</h4>The purpose of the study is to investigate the association of hearing loss (HL) with maintaining a usual source of care (USOC).<h4>Research design and methods</h4>In this study we implemented a time-to-event analysis using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative study of older Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. The study sample included 2 114 older adults, aged 65+ years, 58.9% female, 20.4% Black, who ...[more]

PMID: 36908652

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Dataset Information

The Association Between Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Loss of Usual Source of Health Care Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries: Evidence From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Background and objectives

Research design and methods

Results

Discussion and implications

Publications

The Association Between Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Loss of Usual Source of Health Care Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries: Evidence From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

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