S. Barnett et P. Franks, Deafness and mortality: Analyses of linked data from the National Health Interview Survey and National Death Index, PUBL HEA RE, 114(4), 1999, pp. 330-336
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science","Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health
Objective. To examine the association between age at onset of deafness and
mortality.
Methods. The authors analyzed National Health interview Survey data from 19
90 and 1991-the years the Hearing Supplement was administered-linked with N
ational Death Index data for 1990-1995. Adjusting for sociodemographic vari
ables and health status, the authors compared the mortality of three groups
of adults ages greater than or equal to 19 years: those with prelingual on
set of deafness (less than or equal to age 3 years), those with postlingual
onset of deafness (> age 3 years), and a representative sample of the gene
ral population.
Results. Multivariate analyses adjusted for sociodemographics and stratifie
d by age found that adults with postlingual onset of deafness were more lik
ely to die in the given time frames than non-deaf adults. However, when ana
lyses were also adjusted for health status, there was no difference between
adults with postlingual onset of deafness and a control group of non-deaf
adults. No differences in mortality were found between adults with prelingu
al onset of deafness and non-deaf adults.
Conclusions. Adults with postlingual onset of deafness appear to have highe
r mortality than non-deaf adults, which may be attributable to their lower
self-reported health status.