Prevalence, associated risk factors; and patient and economic impact of multiple sensory impairment in a multi-ethnic elderly population in Singapore: the PIONEER study

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 1102
• Main Authors: Gupta, Preeti, Chan, Aurora, Tai-Anh, Vu, Man, Ryan E K, Fenwick, Eva K, Aravindhan, Amudha, Junxing, Chay, Wood, Joanne M, Black, Alex A, Ng, Jia Hui, Cheng, Ching-Yu, Sabanayagam, Charumathi, Lamoureux, Ecosse L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 22.04.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Acuity; Age; Aged patients; Analysis; Care and treatment; Economic aspects; Economic impact; Economics; Ethnic factors; Gender; Hearing; Hearing loss; Impairment; Medical care, Cost of; Mobility; Mortality; Multiple sensory impairment; Older adults; Older people; Olfaction; Patients; Population studies; Population-based design; Quality of life; Risk factors; Sensory testing; Smoking; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Vision; Visual acuity; China; Singapore; India; Hearing; Multiple sensory impairment; Population-based design; Older adults; Vision; Olfaction
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18635-2

To determine the prevalence, risk factors; and impact on patient health and economic outcomes across the laterality spectrum of multiple sensory impairment (MSI) in a multi-ethnic older Asian population. In this population-based study of Singaporeans aged ≥ 60 years, MSI was defined as concomitant vision (visual acuity > 0.3 logMAR), hearing (pure-tone air conduction average > 25 dB), and olfactory (score < 12 on the Sniffin' Sticks test) impairments across the spectrum of laterality (any, unilateral, combination [of unilateral and bilateral], and bilateral). Among 2,057 participants (mean ± SD 72.2 ± 0.2 years; 53.1% female), the national census-adjusted prevalence rates of any, unilateral, combination, and bilateral MSI were 20.6%, 1.2%, 12.2%, and 7.2%, respectively. Older age, male gender, low socioeconomic status (SES), and smoking (all p < 0.05) were independently associated with higher likelihood of any MSI. Compared to those with no sensory loss, those with MSI had significantly decreased mobility (range 5.4%-9.2%), had poor functioning (OR range 3.25-3.45) and increased healthcare costs (range 4-6 folds) across the laterality spectrum. Additionally, bilateral MSI had a significant decrease in HRQoL (5.5%, p = 0.012). MSI is a highly prevalent medical condition, with 1 in 5; and almost 1 in 10 community-dwelling older Asians having any and bilateral MSI, respectively, with a higher likelihood in men, smokers, and those with low SES. Critically, MSI has a substantial negative impact on patient health and economic outcomes across the laterality spectrum. Sensory testing is critical to detect and refer individuals with MSI for management to improve their functional independence and QoL.