title: Hearing difficulties, uptake, and outcomes of hearing aids in people 85 years of age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported hearing difficulties, uptake, and hearing-aid outcomes and their relationships to demographic, cognitive, psychosocial, and health variables in 85 year olds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and forty-six elderly adults participated in a survey that included questionnaires and home visits. Fifty-five percent of participants admitted to having hearing difficulties, and 59% of these owned hearing aids. The participants' most frequently cited reason for not acquiring hearing aids was that they did not think their hearing problem was perceived as severe enough. Participants with hearing difficulties who did not own hearing aids showed worse general and mental health. Many of the elderly participants were successful in their rehabilitation, and their hearing-aid outcomes were similar to those of a younger group, with the exception of a greater proportion of non-users among the elderly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many older people with self-reported hearing difficulties do not acquire hearing aids, despite this study's findings that older people are likely to have success with hearing rehabilitation. It is important to make greater efforts to try to increase elderly adults' awareness of hearing loss and the benefits of hearing rehabilitation.
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Technical Audiology, Linköping University, Sweden. marie.oberg@liu.se
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Öberg
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Marcusson
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Nägga
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Wressle
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001364:Awareness; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000523:psychology*; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010465:Perception; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden