Table 3.
Associations Between Hearing and Physical Function and Walking Endurance Adjusted for Vestibular Function (n = 526)
| Model 2 (adjusted except vestibular function) | Model 2 (adjusted) + oVEMP | Model 2 (adjusted) + cVEMP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Function Outcome, β Coefficient (95% CI) | |||
| eSPPB, score | |||
| Normal hearing, n = 321 | Reference | Reference | Reference |
| Mild hearing impairment, n = 119 | −0.13 (−0.22, −0.04) | −0.13 (−0.22, −0.04) | −0.13 (−0.22, −0.04) |
| Moderate + hearing impairment, n = 86 | −0.18 (−0.29, −0.07) | −0.18 (−0.29, −0.07) | −0.17 (−0.28, −0.06) |
| oVEMP | — | −0.03 (−0.15, 0.09) | — |
| cVEMP | — | — | −0.08 (−0.18,0.01) |
| LDCW, time to walk 400 m, s | |||
| Mild hearing impairment | 1.87 (−9.35, 13.08) | 1.83 (−9.38, 13.04) | 2.11 (−9.08, 13.31) |
| Moderate + hearing impairment | 20.27 (6.97, 33.56) | 19.68 (6.35, 33.01) | 19.17 (5.84, 32.50) |
| oVEMP | — | 8.13 (−5.95, 22.20) | — |
| cVEMP | — | — | 9.98 (−1.29, 21.25) |
Notes: cVEMP = cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential; eSPPB = expanded Physical Performance Battery; LDCW = long-distance corridor walk; oVEMP = ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential. Model 2: adjusted for age, sex, race, education, height, weight, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking. Estimates differ from those in Table 2, because of differences in sample size (N = 831 for Table 2 and N = 526 for Table 3 [subsample with vestibular tests]). Bold indicates statistically significant differences compared to normal hearing. β coefficient represent the mean difference in eSPPB scores and LDCW compared to participants with normal hearing.