Elucidating the relationship between hearing loss, social isolation, and dementia: data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study.
Objectives Dementia is a growing public health challenge affecting millions. Hearing loss is a potentially modifiable risk factor, though its precise pathway to dementia remains unclear. Social isolation may influence this relationship. This study examines the association between hearing loss and de...
| Publicado en: | Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences Vol. 81; no. 3; pp. 1 - 11 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
| Publicado: |
Oxford University Press / USA
Mar2026
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=192209542&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 192209542 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10795014 JGB jtl: Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences issn: 10795014 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Mar2026 vid: 81 iid: 3 pid: 622 pub: Oxford University Press / USA artinfo: ui: 192209542 10.1093/geronb/gbaf276 ppf: 1 ppct: 10 formats: tig: atl: Elucidating the relationship between hearing loss, social isolation, and dementia: data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. aug: au: Venkatesh, Sanjena Wong, Roger Corsten, Martin McDonald, James Ted Johnson-Obaseki, Stephanie Quimby, Alexandra E affil: Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Norton College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United StatesDepartment of Geriatrics, Norton College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Department of Political Science, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada su: United States Aging Social isolation Old age Dementia risk factors Risk assessment Pearson correlation (Statistics) Hearing aids Logistic regression analysis Audiometry Multivariate analysis Chi-squared test Severity of illness index Longitudinal method Odds ratio Hearing disorders Dementia Confidence intervals Disease incidence sug: subj: Aging Social isolation Old age United States All Other Health and Personal Care Stores Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing Professional machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers Dementia risk factors Risk assessment Pearson correlation (Statistics) Hearing aids Logistic regression analysis Audiometry Multivariate analysis Chi-squared test Severity of illness index Longitudinal method Odds ratio Hearing disorders Dementia Confidence intervals Disease incidence keyword: Auditory impairment Cognitive decline Loneliness Auditory impairment Cognitive decline Loneliness ab: Objectives Dementia is a growing public health challenge affecting millions. Hearing loss is a potentially modifiable risk factor, though its precise pathway to dementia remains unclear. Social isolation may influence this relationship. This study examines the association between hearing loss and dementia, assessing for a moderating role of social isolation. Methods We analyzed data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), including individuals aged 65+ without baseline dementia. Hearing loss was assessed via pure tone audiometry, categorized as normal, mild, or moderate-severe. Social isolation was evaluated using a validated composite measure derived from NHATS items. The NHATS dementia classification algorithm was used. Stratified multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between hearing loss and dementia and to examine the moderating effect of social isolation. Results Moderate-severe hearing loss significantly increased dementia odds (odds ratios [OR] = 1.91, 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 1.11–3.29)—with attenuation observed among hearing aid users (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 0.97–3.49). Individuals with hearing impairment demonstrated higher rates of social isolation (p < .001), which independently correlated with increased dementia incidence (p = .001). Stratified analyses revealed a significant association between moderate-severe hearing loss and odds of dementia among non-socially isolated individuals (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.18–4.43), but not among socially isolated individuals (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.39–4.04). Discussion Moderate-severe hearing loss is associated with increased dementia risk—a relationship that appears moderated by social isolation status. This data may provide preliminary insights into potentially mediating effects. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify this pathway and inform dementia prevention strategies. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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