Audiology patient fall statistics and risk factors compared to non-audiology patients

Robin E. Criter, Julie A. Honaker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To compare fall statistics (e.g. incidence, prevalence), fall risks, and characteristics of patients who seek hearing healthcare from an audiologist to individuals who have not sought such services. Design: Case-control study. Study sample: Two groups of community-dwelling older adult patients: 25 audiology patients aged 60 years or older (M age: 69.2 years, SD: 4.5, range: 61–77) and a control group (gender- and age-matched ±2 years) of 25 non-audiology patients (M age: 69.6, SD: 4.7, range: 60–77). Results: Annual incidence of falls (most recent 12 months) was higher in audiology patients (68.0%) than non-audiology patients (28.0%; p =.005). Audiology patients reported a higher incidence of multiple recent falls (p =.025) and more chronic health conditions (p =.028) than non-audiology patients. Conclusions: Significantly more audiology patients fall on an annual basis than non-audiology patients, suggesting that falls are a pervasive issue in general hearing clinics. Further action on the part of healthcare professionals providing audiologic services may be necessary to identify individuals at risk for falling.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)564-570
Number of pages7
JournalInternational Journal of Audiology
Volume55
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2 2016

Keywords

  • Audiology
  • balance
  • fall risk
  • hearing
  • older adults

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language
  • Speech and Hearing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Audiology patient fall statistics and risk factors compared to non-audiology patients'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this