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Otology/Neurotology

(227) Hearing Loss Is Associated with Decreased Mobility in US Adults

Monday, October 2, 2023
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
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    Presenting Author(s)

  • Henry H. Joo, BS

    Medical Student
    Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Emily Y. Huang, BS

    Medical Student
    Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
    Baltimore, MD, United States

  • DS

    Desi P. Schoo, MD

    Assistant Professor
    The Ohio State University
    Columbus, Ohio, United States

  • YA

    Yuri Agrawal, MD

    Assistant Professor
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins
    Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Jenny X. Chen, MD, EdM

    Neurotology Fellow
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Disclosure(s):
Henry H. Joo, BS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Desi P. Schoo, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Jenny X. Chen, MD, EdM: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: Evidence linking hearing health with physical mobility has been found in the elderly population but remains poorly characterized among younger adults. Herein, we investigated the relationship between hearing impairment and measures of mobility for US adults of all ages.

Methods: The 2021 National Health Interview Survey asked respondents about hearing difficulty and various measures of mobility, including difficulty walking 100 yards, difficulty climbing 12 steps, and injury from falling within the past 3 months. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the associations between hearing and mobility, controlling for visual impairment, demographics (age [18-39, 40-64, 65+], race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status) and medical comorbidities.

Results: The NHIS included 29,467 adults, representing 253 million people in weighted responses (52% female, mean age 48.3, standard deviation, SD=18.6). After controlling for covariates, hearing loss was associated with increased odds of difficulty walking (odds ratio, OR = 1.38, confidence interval, CI: 1.23-1.56, p< .001), difficulty climbing stairs (OR = 1.63, CI: 1.46-1.81, p < .001), and injury from falling within the past 3 months (OR = 1.5, CI: 1.22-1.83). The associations between hearing loss and measures of mobility were significant across all age groups. Even among the youngest respondents ages 18-39, those with hearing loss had more difficulty walking (OR = 1.79, CI: 1.12-2.88, p=.016), climbing steps (OR = 1.82, CI: 1.17-2.83, p=.008), and an increased risk for recent injury from falls (OR = 2.41, CI: 1.49-3.89, p < .001) as compared to hearing peers.

Conclusions: Hearing impairment is associated with worsened mobility for US adults of all ages. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of the association, which could inform interventions to reduce the burden of mobility decline in adults with hearing loss.