THE INFLUENCE OF HEARING LOSS ON SELF-ESTEEM AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG ELDERLY PERSONS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
Contributors: University of Northern Colorado.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 162
Subjects: Health Sciences, Audiology.; Gerontology.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Clinical.
Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of hearing ability on self-esteem and life satisfaction scores of persons over the age of 65 years. The data was obtained from three source sites in Greeley, Colorado. The entire sample consisted of 33 subjects. Twenty-three subjects came from the Audiology Associates of Greeley, Inc., four subjects came from the City of Greeley Senior Activity Center, and six subjects came from the University of Northern Colorado, Department of Communication Disorders database file. Subject selection was based on a hearing test criterion applied to all potential participants. Those older persons who met the hearing test criterion and agreed to participate in the study were included. Participants were required to complete a demographic data sheet and two assessment instruments, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Salamon-Conte Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale.

Two research hypotheses were generated from two research questions. Furthermore, an exploratory data analysis was introduced to pursue the impact of other variables not covered in the original research questions that may effect self-esteem and life satisfaction. An analysis of the data included frequencies, means, standard deviations, ranges, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric one-way analysis by rank statistic H, and multiple comparisons of pairs of medians. The results indicated that hearing ability at one of the three different hearing levels with or without a hearing aid had no significant impact on self-esteem and life satisfaction when measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Salamon-Conte Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale. The only variables of significance were discovered during the exploratory analysis of the data. Significance was found between income and life satisfaction, health and self-esteem, and health and life satisfaction. No other remaining variables in the exploratory analysis revealed any significance.

The findings suggest that hearing loss does not have the impact on self-esteem and life satisfaction that might have been assumed, but that variables such as income and health do.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-09, Section: B, page: 4803.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO, 1995.

School code: 0161.