Table 1 Summary of studies investigating the relationship between quality of life and hearing loss measures among the veteran military population
Study | QOL measurement | Population | Findings/conclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
Mulrow et al. (1990) [15] | Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), Quantified Denver Scale of Communication Function (QDS), Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Self-Evaluation of Life Function (SELF) | Older adult veterans | Hearing loss is associated with important adverse effects on the quality of life of elderly persons, effects which are reversible with hearing aids. |
Quality-of-life changes and hearing impairment randomized trial. | |||
Mulrow, Tuley, and Aguilar, (1992) [24] | HHIE, QDS, GDS, SPMSQ | Hearing impaired veterans | All QOL areas improved significantly from baseline to 4 months. Social and emotional HHIE, communication QDS, and depression GDS benefits were sustained at 8-12 months, but cognitive changes reverted to baseline at 12 months SPMSQ. |
Sustained benefits of hearing aids | |||
Hawkins et al. (2012) [30] | Veterans RAND 12-item | Data from Health Update Survey –10 % of 5,515 eligible adults with AARP Medicare Supplement Plan responded | Hearing impairment was strongly associated with a lower quality of life from both a physical and mental health standpoint. |
The prevalence of hearing impairment and its burden on the quality of life among adults with Medicare Supplement Insurance | |||
Tambs (2004) [37] | One-page hearing questionnaire which included symptoms checklist-25, four tapping symptoms of anxiety and 6 tapping depression. HUNT Q1 and Q2 | 50,398 subjects, ages 20-101, Norway, included those who served in military service | Hearing loss is associated with substantially reduced mental health ratings among some young and middle-aged persons but usually does not significantly affect mental health among older persons. |
Moderate Effects of Hearing Loss on Mental Health and Subjective Well-Being: Results from the Nord-Trondelag Hearing Loss Study | |||
Abrams, Chisolm, McArdle (2002) [28] | Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form – modified for Veteran population (SF-36 V) | Veterans | Of the two arms in the study, the arm that was given both the hearing aid and audiological rehabilitation interventions saved $28.09 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) compared to hearing aid intervention only arm. |
A cost-utility analysis of adult group audiologic rehabilitation: Are the benefits worth the cost? | |||
Yueh et al. (2010) [26] | RAND-36 (formerly called SF-36 V) | Veterans | No statistically significant differences in RAND-36 measurements were found. |
Long‐Term Effectiveness of Screening for Hearing Loss: The Screening for Auditory Impairment—Which Hearing Assessment Test (SAI‐WHAT) Randomized Trial |