Hearing and quality of life in older adults.

Objectives: We assessed quality of life (QoL) in older adults with and without hearing loss (HL) and studied how hearing aids were associated with QoL. We hypothesized participants with normal hearing would have significantly better QoL than participants with HL and hearing aids, and participants with HL but no aids would have the worst QoL.

Method: At the University of Alabama and rural public health departments in surrounding counties, we tested 100 males and females aged 60-87 using pure-tone audiometry.

Hearing loss and social support in urban and rural communities.

Objective: Perceived social support and hearing handicap were assessed in adults with and without hearing loss who lived in different geographical regions of Alabama.

Design: The Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) assessed emotional and social consequences of hearing loss. The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey and the Social Functioning, Role Emotional and Mental Health scales of the SF-36 were administered.

An Exploration of the Associations Among Hearing Loss, Physical Health, and Visual Memory in Adults From West Central Alabama.

Purpose: The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore the associations among hearing loss, physical health, and visual memory in adults living in rural areas, urban clusters, and an urban city in west Central Alabama.

Method: Two hundred ninety-seven adults (182 women, 115 men) from rural areas, urban clusters, and an urban city of west Central Alabama completed a hearing assessment, a physical health questionnaire, a hearing handicap measure, and a visual memory test.

Results: A greater number of adults with hearing loss lived in rural areas and urban clusters than in an urban area.

NEW AND EMERGING PROFESSIONALS: Does Race Moderate Social Support and Psychological Distress Among Rural Older Adults?

Greater social support is associated with decreased psychological distress among older adults. Researchers have found racial differences in psychological distress. Might race moderate social support and psychological distress? The authors hypothesized African American collectivistic values could increase the importance of social support.

The longitudinal course of cognition in older adults with bipolar disorder.

Objectives: Epidemiological studies suggest that elders with bipolar disorder (BD) may be at increased risk for dementia compared to the general population. We sought to investigate whether older adults with BD would present with more cognitive dysfunction than expected for their age and education, and whether they would experience a more rapid cognitive decline over three-year prospective follow-up.

Methods: Thirty-three subjects age > or = 50, mean (SD) age 69.