Association between patient-reported hearing and visual impairments and functional, psychological, and cognitive status among older adults with cancer : Sensory Impairments in Older Adults

Abstract

<div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S1"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d7259329e316">Background</h5> <p id="P1">Hearing and visual impairment are common among community-dwelling older adults, and they are associated with psychological, functional, and cognitive deficits. However, little is known about their prevalence among older patients with cancer. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S2"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d7259329e321">Methods</h5> <p id="P2">This is a secondary analysis combining two prospective cohorts of adults over 65 with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy. We assessed the association between patient-reported hearing and/or visual impairment (defined as fair/poor grading by self-report) and physical function, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), anxiety, depression, and cognition. Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize patient and treatment characteristics. One-way analysis of variance and Chi-square tests as appropriate were conducted to examine differences between patients with and without sensory impairments. Logistic regression was utilized to analyze associations between sensory impairments and outcomes. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S3"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d7259329e326">Results</h5> <p id="P3">Among 750 patients (median age 72) with solid tumors (29% breast/gynecological; 28% lung; 27% gastrointestinal), 18% reported hearing impairment alone; 11% reported visual impairment alone; and 7% reported dual sensory impairment. Hearing impairment was associated with IADL dependence (OR 2.0), depression (OR 1.7), and anxiety (OR 1.6). Visual impairment was associated with IADL dependence (OR 2.0), poor physical function (OR 1.9), and depression (OR 2.7). Dual impairment was associated with IADL dependence (OR 2.8), anxiety (OR 2.3), depression (OR 2.6), and cognitive impairment (OR 3.3). </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S4"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d7259329e331">Conclusions</h5> <p id="P4">Sensory impairment is common among older adults with cancer. Patients with sensory impairment are more likely to have functional, psychological and cognitive deficits. Interventions aimed at improving the vision and hearing of older adults with cancer should be studied. </p> </div>