Fitness, Hearing and Quality of Life in Older Adults With Hearing Loss. Walk, Talk and Listen for Your Life

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study examines the effect of an exercise and health education/auditory rehabilitation and socialization intervention on functional fitness, hearing handicap and psychosocial distress measures in older adults with hearing loss.

Detailed Description
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Hearing loss is associated with functional fitness declines and increased risk for isolation, dementia, depression, falls, hospitalization and premature mortality. No studies have determined the effect of an exercise intervention on these measures in older adults with hearing loss. After baseline assessment of function fitness and several psychosocial measures, 60 older adults with hearing loss will be randomized into a 10 week exercise, health education, socialization and auditory rehabilitation program or auditory rehabilitation alone. The exercise program consists of 3/4 of an hour strengthening and resistance training followed by 30 minutes of group walking. The educational session content is determined by participants and is interactive and may include such topics as wills and probate, diabetes treatment, healthy exercise etc. The 3/4 of an hour auditory rehabilitation sessions are modified from an online program and will include interactive sessions on education about hearing and hearing devices/technologies, psychosocial support and enhancing communication skills. At the end of the 10 week intervention the assessments of functional fitness and psychosocial measures will be repeated. The group that was randomized to the auditory rehabilitation alone will then be offered the exercise program.

Official Title
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Targeting Functional Fitness, Hearing and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Hearing Loss. Walk, Talk and Listen for Your Life, A Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Hearing Loss, Functional

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Exercise + health education+ auditory rehabilitation
* Other: auditory rehabilitation alone


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion criteria: -Gender: Male and female Age limits: Minimum age: 65 years of age Maximum age: 90 years of age. Self-reported diagnosis of hearing loss Must be independently ambulatory (no use of cane, walker or wheelchair) Less than150 minutes per week of self-reported physical activity Healthy enough to participate in the intervention without exacerbating any existing symptomatology Not having participated in any organized exercise program for at least 6 months Availability and willingness to attend at least 80% of the 10 week intervention sessions in addition to baseline and final assessments. -Be English speaking and able to sign written informed consent A Hearing Handicap In the Elderly-25 questionnaire score of 25 > 17 Exclusion Criteria: Dementia Depression

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention<br>Exercise + health education + auditory rehabilitation 10 weeks of exercise, interactive health education, socialization and auditory rehabilitation program | Other: Exercise + health education+ auditory rehabilitation<br>* comparison of 3/4 of an hour balance, resistance and strength training, 1 hour health education, 1 hour auditory rehabilitation<br>|
| Active Comparator: Auditory rehabilitation alone<br>auditory rehabilitation alone 1 hour of group auditory rehabilitation once a week for 10 weeks | Other: auditory rehabilitation alone<br>* 10 weeks of one hour per week of group auditory rehabilitation<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| functional fitness | Gait speed (6 minute walk test: distance in meters walked in 6 minutes) | 3 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Psychosocial outcomes | Hearing and health-related quality of life HHIE-25 | 3 months | 
| Physical and behaviour measures | Physical activity: Time spent in moderate-vigorous physical activity: The Actigraph GT3X+ tri-axial waist worn accelerometer (Actigraph, Pensacola, Florida) | 3 months | 
| Project evaluation | Satisfaction with the Auditory Rehabilitation, health education and exercise sessions. Confidence in being able to maintain their newly acquired communication strategies and exercise regime. Comments on how the program could be improved. | 3 months |