Table 2.
Demographics, health factors, and health care access by hearing capability
| Overall population (N = 6,524) |
By hearing capability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not hard-of-hearing (N = 5,321) |
Hard-of-hearing (N = 1,203) |
P value | ||
| Mean age (SD) | 64 (5) | 64 (5) | 65 (5) | <0.01 |
| 40–54 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
| 55–64 | 46 | 47 | 43 | |
| 65+ | 49 | 48 | 53 | |
| Female | 53 | 55 | 41 | <0.001 |
| Marital status | <0.01 | |||
| Married | 79 | 79 | 78 | |
| Separated/divorced | 10 | 10 | 12 | |
| Widowed | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| Never married | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Educational attainment | 0.23 | |||
| High school or less | 52 | 51 | 52 | |
| Some college | 17 | 17 | 17 | |
| College | 15 | 15 | 16 | |
| Post-graduate | 16 | 16 | 14 | |
| Total household income ($) | 0.34 | |||
| Less than $30,000 | 17 | 17 | 17 | |
| $30,000–$44,999 | 15 | 15 | 15 | |
| $45,000–59,999 | 13 | 13 | 13 | |
| $60,000–$74,999 | 11 | 11 | 11 | |
| Greater than $75,000 | 30 | 31 | 29 | |
| Missing | 13 | 13 | 15 | |
| Rural residence | 33 | 32 | 35 | 0.28 |
| Health insurance | 0.03 | |||
| Private | 47 | 48 | 44 | |
| Medicare + other private | 40 | 39 | 42 | |
| Medicare | 12 | 11 | 13 | |
| Other public | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Ever a regular smoker | 55 | 54 | 57 | 0.08 |
| Number of chronic conditions mean (SD)a | 3.6 (2.5) | 3.5 (2.5) | 4.2 (2.7) | <0.001 |
| Atherosclerotic vascular disease | 49 | 47 | 55 | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 12 | 12 | 15 | <0.01 |
| Self-rated health mean (SD)b | 4.0 (0.69) | 4.0 (0.68) | 3.9 (0.71) | <0.001 |
| High depressive symptomatologyc | 35 | 33 | 46 | <0.001 |
| Difficulties/delays in health care access | 9 | 8 | 13 | <0.001 |
| Satisfaction with access to care mean (SD)d | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.7 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | <0.001 |
Values represent percents unless specified otherwise
The following 22 chronic conditions were measured in this count: asthma, bronchitis/emphysema, serious back trouble, circulation problems, kidney/bladder problems, ulcer, allergies, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease/myocardial infarction, stroke, arthritis, pain and stiffness in the joints, mental illness, chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoporosis and prostate problems
Self-rated health was assessed with the question, “How would you rate your health at the present time?” Responses were on a 1–5 Likert scale (very poor, poor, fair, good, excellent)
Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [38], and a score greater or equal to sixteen as indicative of clinically significant depressive symptoms [39]
Summary measure of 11 items where 1 = poor and 5 = excellent