Screening of Fall Risk in Older Adults With Hearing Loss Living in the Singapore Community.

Abstract

Purpose: Hearing loss is an independent risk factor for falls. Research has demonstrated the importance of a combination of self-report and performance-based tools in predicting falls. Using this approach, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between the degree of hearing loss and fall risk.

Method: Community-dwelling older adults with hearing loss, aged 60 years and above, completed a history form, the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale and the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance. Average pure-tone audiometry of the better hearing ear was calculated. Fall risk was determined for each participant. Binomial logistic regression and Cohen's kappa were performed.

Results: Fifty-eight participants, with mild (n = 12), moderate (n = 27), moderately severe (n = 14), and severe (n = 5) hearing losses were included in the analysis. Overall fall risk incidence was 46.6%. No significant association was found between the degree of hearing loss and fall risk, while age, gender, and diabetes were revealed to be significant fall risk factors. A key finding was the tendency to overestimate balance confidence using self-report measures.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study in Asia employing self-report and performance-based measures to examine hearing loss and fall risk. Our findings provide insight into region-specific factor(s) affecting fall risk and serves to pave the way for future fall risk research. Future studies should include a combination of self-report and performance-based measures, as well as account for protective fall risk factors.