Top

Quality of Life Research

Published in:

01-09-2015 | Brief Communication

Impact of combined sensory impairments on health-related quality of life

Authors: Laura Khil, Jürgen Wellmann, Klaus Berger

Published in: Quality of Life Research | Issue 9/2015

Abstract

Purpose

To analyse the impact of single/combined sensory impairment on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods

Data from 1102 participants (mean age = 51.4 years) of the Dortmund Health Study were analysed. HRQOL was assessed by the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Sensory impairment was measured with validated tests. Each impairment variable was coded into four categories (no impairment, mild, moderate, and severe impairment). Data were analysed with general linear models adjusted for possible confounders. The reference category was the group of no sensory impairment.

Results

Sensory impairments did not influence the mental component score (MCS). Severe auditory impairment (−3.7, 95 % CI −6.3, −1.2) and olfactory impairment (−3.3, 95 % CI −5.6, −1.1) were related to a reduction in the physical component score (PCS). Auditory plus visual and gustatory plus visual impairments had a stronger effect on PCS than the respective impairments alone. For most of the other impairment combinations, additive effects were observed.

Conclusions

Sensory impairments reduced self-reported physical but not mental health scores. Combined sensory impairment worsened the impact of single sensory impairment on health.

Schubert, C. R., Cruickshanks, K. J., Fischer, M. E., Huang, G.-H., Klein, B. E. K., Klein, R., et al. (2012). Olfactory impairment in an adult population: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Chemical Senses, 37(4), 325–334. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjr102.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

Fischer, M. E., Cruickshanks, K. J., Klein, B. E., Klein, R., Schubert, C. R., & Wiley, T. L. (2009). Multiple sensory impairment and quality of life. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 16(6), 346–353. doi:10.3109/09286580903312236.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

Cruickshanks, K. J., Wiley, T. L., Tweed, T. S., Klein, B. E. K., Klein, R., Mares-Perlman, J. A., & Nondahl, D. M. (1998). Prevalence of hearing loss in older adults in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin: The epidemiology of hearing loss study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 148(9), 879–886.PubMedCrossRef

Michikawa, T., Nishiwaki, Y., & Takebayashi, T. (2011). Are you conscious of any age-related taste impairment? Prevalence of and factors associated with taste impairment in Japan. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 59(5), 951–953. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03397.x.PubMedCrossRef

Tielsch, J. M., Sommer, A., Witt, K., Katz, J., & Royall, R. M. (1990). Blindness and visual impairment in an American urban population: The Baltimore Eye Survey. Archives of Ophthalmology, 108(2), 286–290.PubMedCrossRef

Chia, E.-M., Mitchell, P., Rochtchina, E., Foran, S., Golding, M., & Wang, J. J. (2006). Association between vision and hearing impairments and their combined effects on quality of life. Archives of Ophthalmology, 124(10), 1465–1470.PubMedCrossRef

Chia, E.-M., Wang, J. J., Rochtchina, E., Cumming, R. R., Newall, P., & Mitchell, P. (2007). Hearing impairment and health-related quality of life: The blue mountains hearing study. Ear and Hearing, 28(2), 187–195. doi:10.1097/AUD.0b013e31803126b6.PubMedCrossRef

Vennemann, M. M., Hummel, T., & Berger, K. (2008). The association between smoking and smell and taste impairment in the general population. Journal of Neurology, 255(8), 1121–1126.PubMedCrossRef

Pfaffenrath, V., Fendrich, K., Vennemann, M., Meisinger, C., Ladwig, K.-H., Evers, S., et al. (2009). Regional variations in the prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache applying the new IHS criteria: The German DMKG headache study. Cephalalgia, 29(1), 48–57. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01699.x.PubMedCrossRef

10.

Bullinger, M., Kirchberger, I., & Ware, J. (1995). Der deutsche SF-36 Health Survey Übersetzung und psychometrische Testung eines krankheitsübergreifenden Instruments zur Erfassung der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität. Z f Gesundheitswiss, 3(1), 21–36. doi:10.1007/bf02959944.CrossRef

11.

Winkler, J., Stolzenberg, H. (1999) Social class index in the Federal Health Survey. Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)), 61, S178-S183.

12.

Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385–401. doi:10.1177/014662167700100306.CrossRef

13.

Core Team, R. (2014). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing.

14.

Lenth, R. V. (2014). lsmeans: Least-squares means. R package version, 2, 10.

15.

Hummel, T., & Nordin, S. (2005). Olfactory disorders and their consequences for quality of life. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 125(2), 116–121. doi:10.1080/00016480410022787.PubMedCrossRef

16.

Brämerson, A., Nordin, S., & Bende, M. (2007). Clinical experience with patients with olfactory complaints, and their quality of life. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 127(2), 167–174. doi:10.1080/00016480600801357.PubMedCrossRef

17.

Dalton, D. S., Cruickshanks, K. J., Klein, B. E. K., Klein, R., Wiley, T. L., & Nondahl, D. M. (2003). The impact of hearing loss on quality of life in older adults. The Gerontologist, 43(5), 661–668. doi:10.1093/geront/43.5.661.PubMedCrossRef

18.

Mick, P., Kawachi, I., & Lin, F. R. (2014). The Association between hearing loss and social isolation in older adults. Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, 150(3), 378–384. doi:10.1177/0194599813518021.PubMedCrossRef

19.

Gispen, F. E., Chen, D. S., Genther, D. J., & Lin, F. R. (2014). Association between hearing impairment and lower levels of physical activity in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(8), 1427–1433. doi:10.1111/jgs.12938.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

20.

Saunders, G. H., & Echt, K. V. (2007). An overview of dual sensory impairment in older adults: Perspectives for rehabilitation. Trends in Amplification, 11(4), 243–258. doi:10.1177/1084713807308365.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

21.

Kiely, K. M., Anstey, K. J., & Luszcz, M. A. (2013). Dual Sensory loss and depressive symptoms: The importance of hearing, daily functioning and activity engagement. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience,. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00837.PubMedCentralPubMed

22.

Merkonidis, C., Grosse, F., Ninh, T., Hummel, C., Haehner, A., & Hummel, T. (2014). Characteristics of chemosensory disorders—results from a survey. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology,. doi:10.1007/s00405-014-3210-4.PubMed

23.

Rothman, K. J., & Greenland, S. (1998). Concepts of interaction, in: Modern Epidemiology. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.

24.

de Mutsert, R., Jager, K. J., Zoccali, C., & Dekker, F. W. (2009). The effect of joint exposures: examining the presence of interaction. Kidney International, 75(7), 677–681.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Impact of combined sensory impairments on health-related quality of life
Authors: Laura Khil
Jürgen Wellmann
Klaus Berger
Publication date: 01-09-2015
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Quality of Life Research / Issue 9/2015
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-015-0941-7

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Impact of combined sensory impairments on health-related quality of life

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 9/2015

Psychometric properties of the Chalder Fatigue Scale revisited: an exploratory structural equation modeling approach

Systematic content evaluation and review of measurement properties of questionnaires for measuring self-reported fatigue among older people

Health-related quality of life of Asian patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Singapore

Development of a cross-cultural item bank for measuring quality of life related to mental health in multiple sclerosis patients

Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms in growth factor genes and quality of life in men with prostate cancer and the general population

Consistency of prediction across generation: explaining quality of life by family functioning and health-promoting behaviors