Hearing Disabilities and the Effectiveness of Rehabilitation in Different Age Groups.

Objective: To assess differences in hearing disabilities between different age groups and the effectiveness of rehabilitation with hearing aids.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: First line hearing aid dispensers.

Patients: First-time hearing aid users divided in a younger group aged 18 to 65 years (119 subjects) and an elderly group aged 70 years and older (213 subjects).

Intervention(s): Rehabilitative.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Weighted pure tone averages (PTA) were calculated using the binaural impairment model. The patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) Amsterdam Questionnaire for Auditory Disabilities (AVAB), and client oriented scale of improvement (COSI) were collected pre- and post-fitting. To analyze whether age group, weighted PTA, and type of auditory dimension influences AVAB, linear regression and two-way ANalysis Of VAriance models were used.

Results: The weighted PTA of the young group was significantly lower than of the elderly group. In the regression model differences between age groups were found to be significant for pre-AVAB and for AVAB benefit. The two-way ANalysis Of VAriance showed that the effect of age on pre- and post-AVAB scores was not influenced by PTA or the type of auditory dimension.

Conclusions: Younger first-time hearing aid users experience more auditory disabilities, despite better hearing levels than their elderly counterparts. Their disabilities are rehabilitated more effectively by hearing aids.