Description of Lab Projects in Progress

Impact of Hearing Aid Use: Health and Independence of Older Women
As the number of older adults grows, quality of life issues become increasingly important. Women face a number of barriers that may negatively impact quality of life. While women constitute the majority of older adults, they remain an under-investigated population. This project examines physical, emotional, communicative, and sociodemographic factors influencing quality of life among two groups of older women: those with impaired hearing who are first-time hearing aid users and those with age-normal hearing. Assessments are completed by participants three times over the course of a year. Outcomes are expected to increase understanding of the impact of hearing aid use on health and independent function among older women, determine if hearing aid use contributes to successful aging, and increase the knowledge of treatment providers and policymakers. This project is sponsored by The Retirement Research Foundation.

Hearing Loss- and Hearing Aid-Related Stigma
Many adults deny hearing loss and reject amplification. Stigma, or negative perceptions related to hearing loss and hearing aids, is often cited as a contributor to lack of adherence with professional recommendations to use amplification. Data were collected in an earlier study from women in three age-groups with hearing that is normal for their age. Results suggest that perceptions of hearing loss and hearing aid use are most positive among older women (ages 75-85) and most negative among younger women (ages 35-45); and, that for women of any age hearing aid users are perceived more positively than individuals with untreated hearing impairment. In the current project, data are being collected at baseline and one year later from women (age 60 and older) with age-normal hearing and age-peers who are new hearing aid users. Outcomes are expected to contribute to our understanding of stigma as it relates to hearing loss and hearing aid use among women with and without impaired hearing. This project is sponsored by The Retirement Research Foundation.