Effects of Language, Age, and Hearing Loss on Health-Related Quality of Life.

Objective: To understand the effect of age on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with hearing loss and determine how primary language mediates this relationship.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: General otolaryngology clinic in Los Angeles.

Methods: Demographics, medical records, and HRQoL data of adult patients presenting with otology symptoms were reviewed. HRQoL was measured using the Short-Form 6-Dimension utility index. All patients underwent audiological testing. A path analysis was performed to generate a moderated path analysis with HRQoL as the primary outcome.

Results: This study included 255 patients (mean age = 54 years; 55% female; 27.8% did not speak English as a primary language). Age had a positive direct association with HRQoL ( < .001). However, the direction of this association was reversed by hearing loss. Older patients exhibited significantly worse hearing ( < .001), which was negatively associated with HRQoL ( < .05). Primary language moderated the relationship between age and hearing loss. Specifically, patients who did not speak English as a primary language had significantly worse hearing ( < .001) and therefore worse HRQoL ( < .01) than patients who spoke English as a primary language with hearing loss. Increasing age was associated with bilateral hearing loss compared to unilateral hearing loss ( < .001) and subsequently lower HRQoL ( < .001). Polypharmacy ( < .01) and female gender ( < .01) were significantly associated with lower HRQoL.

Conclusion: Among otolaryngology patients with otology symptoms, older age and not speaking English as a primary language were associated with worse hearing and subsequently lower HRQoL.