Prevalence and associated factors of hearing loss in older adults: a cross-sectional study of Amirkola Health and Ageing Project

Background

Hearing loss associated with age or presbycusis is the most common cause of hearing loss and has adverse effects on the quality of life, communication and social functioning of the older adults. So, the present study was conducted to investigate hearing loss and its associated factors in the older adults of Amirkola city.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP). A total of 1,878 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older were enrolled, and participants with complete data were included in the final analyses. Hearing loss was assessed by self-report. Demographic characteristics, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), chronic diseases, activities of daily living (ADL), and other clinical variables were evaluated. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with hearing loss, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05.

Results

Among 1878 older adults studied, 834(50.2%) were men and 827 (49.8%) were women. Out of the total older adults studied, 755 (45.5%) had hearing loss. The prevalence of hearing loss in men was 55.3% and in women was 44.7% (P < 0.001). Hearing loss was also significantly higher among participants in the older age group (P < 0.0001), illiteracy (P < 0.002), unemployment (P = 0.002), those with more chronic diseases (P < 0.001), having multiple medications (P = 0.002), and those with lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, factors contributing to hearing loss in the older adults were age over 85 years and female gender, (P = 0.018), BMI (P = 0.020), inability to perform activities daily living (ADL) (P = 0.046) and number of chronic diseases P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Hearing loss is highly prevalent among Iranian older adults and is independently associated with age, sex, smoking, multimorbidity, and functional disability. Routine hearing assessment, particularly among high-risk individuals, may facilitate earlier detection and intervention, improve quality of life, and support healthy ageing. These findings provide valuable evidence to inform healthcare planning and preventive strategies for ageing populations.