title: Five-year incidence and progression of hearing impairment in an older population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are few epidemiological surveys that have examined age-related hearing loss in an older Australian population. This study reports the prevalence, 5-yr incidence, and progression of hearing impairment in a representative sample of older persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Blue Mountains Hearing Study (BMHS) is a population-based survey of age-related hearing loss conducted among participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study cohort. During the period 1997-1999, 2956 had audiometric testing done. Of these, 870 participants without hearing loss and 439 with hearing loss were re-examined from 2002 to 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some degree of hearing loss was present in 33.0% of this population at baseline. Prevalence of hearing loss increased with age, sex-adjusted (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1-3.9), with men 70% more likely than women to have hearing loss. The 5-yr incidence of hearing impairment was 17.9%. For each decade of age older than 60 yrs, the risk of hearing loss increased threefold, OR 3.9 (CI 2.3-3.8). Gender was not associated with incident hearing loss OR. However, high occupational prestige was associated with decreased incidence of hearing loss OR 0.6 (CI 0.40-0.94). The 5-yr progression of hearing loss defined as a difference in pure-tone average that exceeded 10 dB was relatively high (15.7%). At the baseline hearing study and at the 5-yr follow-up hearing study, 57.4% and 59.7% of hearing impaired subjects, respectively, reported using a hearing aid for a maximum of 5 yrs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hearing loss was a frequent sensory disability, with one in three persons having a hearing impairment, and of these, almost one in two showing a decline in hearing over a 5-yr period. This information can potentially contribute to the planning and resource investment in auditory rehabilitation services for older Australians.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. paul_mitchell@wmi.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Bamini
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gopinath
authors.forename: Jie Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rochtchina
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Leeder
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors