Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Aug 22:20:1337-1347.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S522426. eCollection 2025.

Life Space Mobility and Social Frailty for Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Different Levels of Hearing Impairment

Jhen Yang You  1   2 , Ching-Ju Chiu  1
Affiliations

Life Space Mobility and Social Frailty for Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Different Levels of Hearing Impairment

Jhen Yang You et al. Clin Interv Aging. .

Abstract

Objective: Life-space mobility reflects daily and social movement, crucial for active aging and independence in older adults. Good mobility is associated with greater vitality and the ability to live independently. This study examines the relationship between hearing loss and life-space mobility using pure tone average (PTA) hearing levels.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited participants aged 50-79 from January 2023 to May 2024 through community in southern Taiwan. Participants were recruited via electronic bulletin boards and word-of-mouth. Hearing was assessed using pure tone audiometry, and data on socioeconomic status, life-space mobility, cognition, depression, social frailty, and health status were collected via questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of life-space mobility.

Results: Ninety participants (mean age 64.21 years) with good cognition completed the study. Pure tone audiometry showed 60% had bilateral hearing loss (better ear hearing level >20 dB), and 15.6% had bilateral hearing disability (bilateral hearing level >50 dB). Low life-space mobility was observed in 5.6%, and social frailty in 13.3%. Bilateral hearing disabilities predicted low life-space mobility (OR = 48.34, CI = 2.06-1136.35). Each decibel increase in worse ear hearing level increased the likelihood of low life-space mobility by 6% (OR = 1.06, CI = 1.0-1.1).

Conclusion: Hearing loss is an independent predictor of life-space mobility. Increased worse ear hearing levels are associated with reduced life-space. Routine hearing assessment may support timely identification and intervention to preserve mobility in aging populations.

Keywords: Environmental Health; Geriatric Function; Hearing Loss; Life-Space Mobility; Social Frailty.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

References

    1. Allman RM. The UAB study of aging: background and insights into life-space mobility among older Americans. Aging Health. 2006;2(3):417–429. doi: 10.2217/1745509X.2.3.417 - DOI
    1. Agmon M, Lavie L, Doumas M. The association between hearing loss, postural control, and mobility in older adults: a systematic review. J Am Acad Audiol. 2017;28(6):575–588. doi: 10.3766/jaaa.16044 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chen YJ, Matsuoka RH, Tsai KC. Spatial measurement of mobility barriers: improving the environment of community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. J Aging Phys Act. 2015;23(2):286–297. doi: 10.1123/japa.2014-0004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kamil RJ, Li L, Li FR. Association between hearing impairment and frailty in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(6):1186–1188. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12860 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mikkola TM, Polku H, Portegijs E, Rantakokko M, Rantanen T, Viljanen A. Self-reported hearing status is associated with lower limb physical performance, perceived mobility, and activities of daily living in older community-dwelling men and women. J Am Geriat Soc. 2015;63(6):1164–1169. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13381 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources