title: Dual sensory loss: A major age-related increase of comorbid hearing loss and hearing aid ownership in visually impaired adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite increasing interest in visual and hearing impairment in the older population, little attention has been paid to concurrent hearing and vision loss, also known as dual sensory loss. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of comorbid hearing disability and hearing aid ownership in visually impaired older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional survey, a self-report hearing disability screener was administered to 1396 visually impaired patients (aged ≥ 50 years) of outpatient low vision rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands and Belgium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all participants, 44.8% (95% CI 42.2-47.5) had insufficient or poor hearing; the prevalence increased quadratically with age. Of all dual sensory impaired participants, 31.2% in the Netherlands and 55.7% in Belgium did not own hearing aids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high prevalence of dual sensory loss calls for more awareness of related problems in these patients. Differences between the Netherlands and Belgium regarding hearing aid ownership might be due to different criteria used for hearing aid referral and insurance policies. For patients with dual sensory loss, specialized care implemented in low vision rehabilitation seems warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hilde L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Vreeken
authors.forename: Ger H M B
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: van Rens
authors.forename: Dirk L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Knol
authors.forename: Nadja A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: van Reijen
authors.forename: Sophia E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Joost M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Festen
authors.forename: Ruth M A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: van Nispen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010067:Ownership / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation
keywords: audiological rehabilitation; hearing aids; hearing impaired persons; low vision; visually impaired persons