Associations of sensory impairment and cognitive function in middle-aged and older Chinese population

The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Bibliographic Data

ID19551757
AuthorsXiaohuan Zhao (0000-0003-1539-8667, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Yifan Zhou (0000-0002-9102-1346, Tongji University), K Wei (0000-0001-5556-9534, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital), Xinyue Bai (0009-0005-7872-8522, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Jingfa Zhang (0000-0003-0601-4342, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Minwen Zhou (0000-0002-3746-2300, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Xiaodong Sun (0000-0001-5015-0945, Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
Year2021
Volume11
Pages08008-08008
Publication date2021-12-18
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2047-2978 • E-ISSN: 2047-2986
PublisherInternational Global Health Society (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.7189/jogh.11.08008
PMID34956639
OpenAlexW4200473985
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited55

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the associations between vision impairment, hearing impairment, and cognitive function. The aim of this study was to examine whether vision and hearing impairment were associated with a high risk for cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. METHODS: A total of 13 914 Chinese adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) baseline were selected for analysis. Sensory impairment was assessed from a single self-report question, and we categorized sensory impairment into four groups: no sensory impairment, vision impairment, hearing impairment, and dual sensory impairment. Cognitive assessment covered memory, mental state, and cognition, and the data was obtained through a questionnaire. RESULTS: Memory was negatively associated with hearing impairment (β = -0.043, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.076, -0.043) and dual sensory impairment (β = -0.033, 95% CI = -0.049, -0.017); mental status was negatively associated with vision impairment (β = -0.034, 95% CI = -0.049, -0.018), hearing impairment (β = -0.070, 95% CI = -0.086, -0.055), and dual sensory impairment (β = -0.054, 95% CI = -0.070, -0.039); and cognition was negatively associated with vision impairment (β = -0.028, 95% CI = -0.044, -0.013), hearing impairment (β = -0.074, 95% CI = -0.090, -0.059), and dual sensory impairment (β = -0.052, 95% CI = -0.067, -0.036), even after adjusting for demographics, social economic factors, and lifestyle behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Vision and hearing impairment are negatively associated with memory, mental status, and cognition for middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. There were stronger negative associations between sensory impairment and cognitive-related indicators in the elderly compared to the middle-aged

Audiology · Cognition · Cognitive impairment · Confidence interval · Hearing loss · Memory Impairment · Psychiatry · Sensory system · Visual impairment · Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation · Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics · Medicine · Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies · Psychology · Gerontology · Internal Medicine