title: Determinants of hearing aid acquisition in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We determined factors associated with hearing aid acquisition in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a population-based, prospective study that used information from 3 examinations performed on study participants as part of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (1993-2005). We included participants (n = 718; mean age = 70.5 years) who exhibited hearing loss at baseline or the first follow-up and had no prior history of hearing aid use. We defined hearing loss as a pure tone threshold average (PTA) at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kilohertz in the better ear of greater than 25 decibels Hearing Level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10-year cumulative incidence of hearing aid acquisition was 35.7%. Associated factors included education (college graduate vs all others: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5, 4.1), self-perception of hearing (poor vs good or better: HR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.3, 5.0), score on a perceived hearing handicap inventory (+1 difference: HR = 1.1; 95% CI = 1.0, 1.1), and PTA (+ 5 dB difference: HR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.2, 1.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low rate of hearing aid ownership among older adults is a problem that still needs to be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726-2336, USA. fischer@episense.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cruickshanks
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: Barbara E K
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Ted S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tweed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged