TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparison of psychosocial health among individuals with different levels of hearing ability during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Jansen, Lotte A.
AU - van Wier, Marieke F.
AU - Lissenberg-Witte, Birgit I.
AU - Kramer, Sophia E.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank the participants who provided valuable time and data to this study and dr. Thomas Klausch for his advice given on the multiple negative binomial regression analyses. Data collection was funded by the ‘Quality of Care’ program of the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute. Analysis and publication were funded by Stichting Het Heinsius-Houbolt Fonds. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Objective: This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial health among individuals with different levels of hearing ability. Design: For this cross-sectional study, adults completed an online digits-in-noise test and survey. Participants were categorised into “good”, “insufficient”, or “poor” hearing groups. Survey questions included topics on depression, anxiety, distress, somatisation, and loneliness levels. Multiple logistic, linear, and negative binomial regressions examined differences in psychosocial health between hearing groups. Moderation analyses identified vulnerable subgroups. Mediation analyses examined mediating effects of pandemic measures on hearing ability and psychosocial health. Study sample: Eight-hundred and sixty-five adults with or without hearing impairment. Results: Individuals with poor hearing had a higher odds of having elevated anxiety levels and had higher somatisation levels compared to participants with good hearing. Chronic diseases significantly moderated the relationship between poor hearing ability and loneliness. Difficulties with communicating through facemasks, 1.5 m distance, plastic screens, and during video calls significantly mediated the relationships between hearing ability, anxiety and somatisation. Conclusions: Results highlight the elevated anxiety and somatisation levels experienced among individuals with hearing impairment during the COVID-19 pandemic. More awareness is needed of the negative impact pandemic measures can have on psychosocial health during future health crises.
AB - Objective: This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial health among individuals with different levels of hearing ability. Design: For this cross-sectional study, adults completed an online digits-in-noise test and survey. Participants were categorised into “good”, “insufficient”, or “poor” hearing groups. Survey questions included topics on depression, anxiety, distress, somatisation, and loneliness levels. Multiple logistic, linear, and negative binomial regressions examined differences in psychosocial health between hearing groups. Moderation analyses identified vulnerable subgroups. Mediation analyses examined mediating effects of pandemic measures on hearing ability and psychosocial health. Study sample: Eight-hundred and sixty-five adults with or without hearing impairment. Results: Individuals with poor hearing had a higher odds of having elevated anxiety levels and had higher somatisation levels compared to participants with good hearing. Chronic diseases significantly moderated the relationship between poor hearing ability and loneliness. Difficulties with communicating through facemasks, 1.5 m distance, plastic screens, and during video calls significantly mediated the relationships between hearing ability, anxiety and somatisation. Conclusions: Results highlight the elevated anxiety and somatisation levels experienced among individuals with hearing impairment during the COVID-19 pandemic. More awareness is needed of the negative impact pandemic measures can have on psychosocial health during future health crises.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Hearing ability
KW - pandemic measures
KW - psychosocial health
KW - vulnerable
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161588557&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2023.2210755
DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2023.2210755
M3 - Article
C2 - 37267046
SN - 1499-2027
JO - International Journal of Audiology
JF - International Journal of Audiology
ER -