Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Self-reported hearing, vision and quality of life: Older people in New Zealand
Shiran Zhang1, Simon Moyes1, Chris McLean1
1Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Aim:
To establish associations between sensory-related disability and quality of life (QOL).
Methods:
A total of 3817 people aged 75 years and older, including 173 Māori aged 61 years and older, were surveyed. Measures included: sociodemographic and health factors; World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL)-BREF for QOL; and self-rated hearing- and vision-related disability.
Results:
Hearing disability was reported by 866 (51%) men and 736 (36%) women. A total of 974 (26% of all, 61% of hearing disabled) used hearing aids. A total of 513 (30%) men and 618 (30%) women reported vision disability. Vision and hearing disability were both independently associated with lower QOL, with hearing difficulty affecting physical and social domains more, and the environmental domain least. Vision difficulty impacted the environmental domain most and the social domain least. QOL impact was higher for those with both hearing and visual disability (631, 17%).
Conclusions:
Hearing and vision disability are associated with poorer QOL.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...
01:01Perception of Sound Waves
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...