Generic quality of life in persons with hearing loss: a systematic literature review

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Abstract

Background

To the best of our knowledge, no empirically based consensus has been reached as to if, and to what extent, persons with hearing loss (HL) have reduced generic Quality of life (QoL). There seems to be limited knowledge regarding to what extent a hearing aid (HA) would improve QoL. The main aim of the present study was to review studies about the relationship between HL and QoL. A supporting aim was to study the association between distress and HL.

Methods

Literature databases (Cinahl, Pub Med and Web of Science) were searched to identify relevant journal articles published in the period from January 2000 to March 17, 2016. We performed a primary search pertaining to the relationship between HL, HA and QoL (search number one) followed by a supporting search pertaining to the relationship between distress/mood/anxiety and HL (search number two). After checking for duplications and screening the titles of the papers, we read the abstracts of the remaining papers. The most relevant papers were read thoroughly, leaving us with the journal articles that met the inclusion criteria.

Results

Twenty journal articles were included in the present review: 13 were found in the primary search (HL and QoL), and seven in the supporting search (HL and distress). The literature yields equivocal findings regarding the association between generic QoL and HL. A strong association between distress and HL was shown, where distressed persons tend to have a lowered generic QoL. It is suggested that QoL is lowered among HL patients. Some studies suggest an increased generic QoL following the use of HA, especially during the first few months after initiation of treatment. Other studies suggest that HA use is one of several possible factors that contribute to improve generic QoL.

Conclusions

The majority of the studies suggest that HL is associated with reduced generic QoL. Using hearing aids seem to improve general QoL at follow-up within the first year. HL is a risk factor for distress. Further research is needed to explore the relationship between HL and generic QoL, in addition to the importance of influencing variables on this relationship.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12901-018-0051-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Most cited references 46

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The impact of hearing loss on quality of life in older adults.

Dayna S Dalton, Karen J Cruickshanks, Barbara E K Klein … (2003)

The authors investigate the impact of hearing loss on quality of life in a large population of older adults. Data are from the 5-year follow-up Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study, a population-based longitudinal study of age-related hearing impairment conducted in Beaver Dam, WI. Participants (N = 2,688) were 53-97 years old (mean = 69 years) and 42% were male. Difficulties with communication were assessed by using the Hearing Handicap for the Elderly-Screening version (HHIE-S), with additional questions regarding communication difficulties in specific situations. Health-related quality of life was assessed by using measures of activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Hearing loss measured by audiometry was categorized on the basis of the pure-tone average of hearing thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Of participants, 28% had a mild hearing loss and 24% had a moderate to severe hearing loss. Severity of hearing loss was significantly associated with having a hearing handicap and with self-reported communication difficulties. Individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss were more likely than individuals without hearing loss to have impaired ADLs and IADLs. Severity of hearing loss was significantly associated with decreased function in both the Mental Component Summary score and the Physical Component Summary score of the SF-36 as well as with six of the eight individual domain scores. Severity of hearing loss is associated with reduced quality of life in older adults.

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The impact of hearing loss on the quality of life of elderly adults

Andrea Ciorba, Chiara Bianchini, Stefano Pelucchi … (2012)

Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in the elderly, and it is becoming a severe social and health problem. Especially in the elderly, hearing loss can impair the exchange of information, thus significantly impacting everyday life, causing loneliness, isolation, dependence, and frustration, as well as communication disorders. Due to the aging of the population in the developed world, presbycusis is a growing problem that has been reported to reduce quality of life (QoL). Progression of presbycusis cannot be remediated; therefore, optimal management of this condition not only requires early recognition and rehabilitation, but it also should include an evaluation of QoL status and its assessment.

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Psychological distress: concept analysis.

Sheila H Ridner (2004)

The term 'distress' is frequently used in nursing literature to describe patient discomfort related to signs and symptoms of acute or chronic illness, pre- or post-treatment anxiety or compromised status of fetuses or the respiratory system. 'Psychological distress' may more accurately describe the patient condition to which nurses respond than does the term 'distress'. Psychological distress is seldom defined as a distinct concept and is often embedded in the context of strain, stress and distress. This creates confusion for nurses attempting to manage the care of people experiencing psychological distress. This paper is a concept analysis of psychological distress based on Walker and Avant's (1995) criteria that identifies the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of psychological distress based upon the findings of the literature review. In addition, empirical references are identified and constructed cases presented. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Ovid, PsychINFO, and Cancer Lit databases over the last 50 years. The purposes of this concept analysis were: (1) to establish the concept of psychological distress as a clear and distinct concept, separate from strain, stress and distress, and (2) to provide nurses with a base of knowledge from which to plan effective clinical interventions. Content analysis of the literature revealed that, although used frequently in health care literature, the origin of the concept of psychological distress has not been clearly articulated and is ill-defined. Psychological distress is a serious problem faced by many of the people whom nurses encounter on a daily basis. An understanding of the concept of psychological distress will help nurses ameliorate this problem in patients. Nursing research related to the exploration of psychological distress is also needed.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Øyvind Nordvik:

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2924-0959

oyvind.nordvik@hvl.no

Peder O. Laugen Heggdal: peder.heggdal@helse-bergen.no

Jonas Brännström: jonas.brannstrom@med.lu.se

Flemming Vassbotn: flemming.slinning.vassbotn@helse-bergen.no

Anne Kari Aarstad: anne.k.aarstad@uis.no

Hans Jørgen Aarstad: hans.jorgen.aarstad@helse-bergen.no

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord

Title: BMC Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders

Publisher: BioMed Central (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 1472-6815

Publication date (Electronic): 22 January 2018

Publication date PMC-release: 22 January 2018

Publication date Collection: 2018

Volume: 18

Electronic Location Identifier: 1

Affiliations

[1 ]ISNI 0000 0000 9753 1393, GRID grid.412008.f, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, , Haukeland University Hospital, ; Bergen, Norway

[2 ]ISNI 0000 0004 1936 7443, GRID grid.7914.b, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, , University of Bergen, ; Bergen, Norway

[3 ]GRID grid.477239.c, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, , Bergen University College, ; Bergen, Norway

[4 ]ISNI 0000 0001 0930 2361, GRID grid.4514.4, Department of Clinical Science, Section of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, , Lund University, ; Lund, Sweden

[5 ]ISNI 0000 0001 2299 9255, GRID grid.18883.3a, Department of Health Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, , University of Stavanger, ; Stavanger, Norway

Author information

Øyvind Nordvik http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2924-0959

Article

Publisher ID: 51

DOI: 10.1186/s12901-018-0051-6

PMC ID: 5778781

PubMed ID: 29386982

SO-VID: 8f1f579b-2a4d-4928-8252-09d2c15a0a98

License:

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

History

Date received : 21 March 2017

Date accepted : 2 January 2018

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Otolaryngology

Keywords: quality of life,hearing loss,impairment,distress,depression,anxiety,hearing aid

Data availability:

ScienceOpen disciplines: Otolaryngology

Keywords: quality of life, hearing loss, impairment, distress, depression, anxiety, hearing aid

Generic quality of life in persons with hearing loss: a systematic literature review

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Hearing Loss and Restoration

Most cited references 46

The impact of hearing loss on quality of life in older adults.

The impact of hearing loss on the quality of life of elderly adults

Psychological distress: concept analysis.

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