title: Prevalence and 5-year incidence of dual sensory impairment in an older Australian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report prevalence and 5-year incidence of dual sensory impairment (DSI), and associated risk factors, in an older population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 2015 Blue Mountains Hearing Study participants aged ≥55 years, examined between 1997 and 1999 (baseline) and 2002 and 2004. Hearing thresholds were measured with the use of pure-tone audiometry. Visual acuity was measured with a LogMar chart while the subject wore distance glasses, if they owned a pair. DSI was defined as combined presenting visual acuity (better eye) <20/40, and PTA(0.5-4 kHz) (better ear) >25 dB HL. The incidence of DSI was considered by the use of two at-risk subpopulations: (i) participants with no sensory impairment and; (ii) with one type of sensory impairment at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of DSI was 6% at baseline, increasing from 0% for ages <60 years to 26.8% for ages 80+ years (p for trend <.0001). Five-year DSI incidence was 1.6% in persons with no sensory impairment and 11.3% in those with a single sensory impairment, a 7-fold difference. Among participants with either no sensory impairment or a single sensory impairment at baseline, a significant age-related increase in incident DSI was found (p for trend <.0001 and .0004, respectively). Low education was a significant risk factor for DSI among those with no sensory impairment and those with single sensory impairment, multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR, 6.62; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.79-24.4) and OR, 2.55 (95% CI, 1.36-4.79), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aging population trends and the age-related prevalence and incidence of DSI support the implementation of collaborative efforts in service provision between hearing and vision professionals. Active case-finding among older persons with single-sensory impairments may help identify those with DSI and provide timely and appropriate services.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Centre of Health Policy, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. julie.schneider@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Bamini
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gopinath
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Erdahl
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teber
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Leeder
authors.forename: Jie Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*