Self-Reported Sensory Impairments in Older Adults and their Association with Self-Rated Health and Mortality Outcomes

This study assessed the relationship between self-reported impairments of vision, hearing, and dual sensory impairment, and change in self-rated health/mortality status over a 5-year period.Data came from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative survey of Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older. Analyses consisted of a series of ordinal logistic regressions stratified by sex.For both women and men, self-reported sensory impairments were not statistical predictors of self-rated health/mortality, when other dimensions of health, such as physical functioning, participation, and activities of daily living functioning were included in models.Understanding how self-reported sensory impairments impact self-rated health could assist in targeting rehabilitation strategies to older adults who experience sensory impairments.