AGE EFFECTS ON MEASURES OF HEARING DISABILITY

This study investigated the effects of age on self-perceived hearing d isability among young and elderly people with comparable hearing sensi tivity. Subjects were young (18-40 yr) and elderly (65-75 yr) listener s with either normal hearing sensitivity or mild-to-moderate sloping s ensorineural hearing loss. The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elde rly was presented to the older subjects and the Hearing Handicap Inven tory for Adults was presented to the younger subjects. Statistical ana lyses revealed an interaction between age and hearing loss, in which y ounger subjects with hearing loss reported more handicapping effects o f sensitivity loss than the elderly subjects with hearing loss. This a ge effect was not attributed to differences in hearing sensitivity bet ween the young and elderly subjects with hearing impairment.