Association between accelerometer-assessed physical activity and objectively measured hearing sensitivity among U.S. adults with diabetes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between objectively measured physical activity and hearing sensitivity among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults with diabetes. METHOD: Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. One hundred eighty-four U.S. adults with diabetes wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer and had their hearing function objectively assessed. A negative binomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and hearing sensitivity. RESULTS were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, comorbidity index, marital status, cotinine, homocysteine, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycohemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein, microalbuminuria, noise exposure, and vision impairment. RESULTS: Compared to those with hearing within normal limits, results showed that participants with mild hearing loss and moderate or greater hearing loss, respectively, engaged in 93% fewer minutes of MVPA (incident rate ratio = 0.07; 95% CI [0.01, 0.60]) and 94% fewer minutes of MVPA (incident rate ratio = 0.06; 95% CI [0.01, 0.54]). CONCLUSION: Adults with diabetes who have greater hearing impairment are less physically active. Future research is needed to determine the direction of causality.

Association between accelerometer-assessed physical activity and tinnitus, NHANES 2005-2006.

PURPOSE: Internet-based claims suggest that physical activity may help to relieve tinnitus symptoms. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the association between accelerometer-assessed physical activity and tinnitus (i.e., ringing, roaring, or buzzing in the ears). METHOD: Data were obtained from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on 963 adolescents (aged 12-19 years old) and 473 older adults (aged 70-85 years old). Physical activity was measured using an accelerometer, and participants were asked several tinnitus-related questions. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of tinnitus was 8.9% and 25.3% for adolescents and older adults, respectively. For every 1-min increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, adolescents were 4% less likely to have tinnitus lasting more than 3 months compared with less than 3 months (OR = 0.96, 95% CI [0.93, 0.99]). For older adults with hypertension, for every 60-min increase in light-intensity physical activity, they were 21% less likely to have tinnitus zcompared with not having tinnitus (OR = 0.790, 95% CI [0.649, 0.963]). CONCLUSION: Overall, we conclude that physical activity was associated with tinnitus status in a nationally representative sample of adolescents and older adults. If additional studies confirm these findings, then audiologists and other hearing specialists are encouraged to promote physical activity among their patients to help treat and prevent tinnitus.

Accelerometer-assessed physical activity and objectively determined dual sensory impairment in US adults.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between hearing and vision impairment (with the focus on dual sensory impairment) and accelerometer-assessed physical activity (PA) in a national sample of US adults because limited research has examined this association. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from the cross-sectional 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. The data were evaluated between May 28, 2012, and March 27, 2013. To assess moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA, participants wore an accelerometer for at least 4 days. Hearing and visual acuity were objectively measured in the mobile examination center. After exclusions, 1445 participants provided complete data on the study variables. A negative binomial regression was used to examine the association between PA and dual sensory impairment. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, comorbidity index, cotinine level, C-reactive protein level, number of valid days of accelerometry, and accelerometer wear time, there was evidence of joint effects of vision and hearing on PA (incident rate ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.29-0.68), indicating that participants experiencing both vision and hearing loss participated in less PA than would be expected based on their individual effects. CONCLUSION: Adults with dual sensory impairment may be at increased risk for decreased PA. Possible strategies include, but are not limited to, teaching the patient how to make modifications to their indoor and outdoor environments, encouraging patients to engage in balance and resistance training, and advocating changes to public and private institutions to address common concerns.

Association between depression and tinnitus in a nationally representative sample of US older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Few population-based studies examining the association between tinnitus and depression among older adults have been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between tinnitus and depression among a nationally representative sample of US older adults. METHODS: Data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used. 696 older adults (70-85 yr) completed questionnaires on tinnitus and depression, with depression assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: After controlling for firearm use, age, gender, race-ethnicity, cardiovascular/stroke history, diabetes, smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, noise exposure and elevated blood pressure, there was a significant positive association (beta coefficient: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.26-2.29, p = 0.01) between depression and tinnitus being at least a moderate problem, suggesting that those who perceived their tinnitus to be a moderate problem were more likely to be depressed than those perceiving it to be a small or no problem. Additionally, after adjustments, those who were bothered by tinnitus when going to bed were 3.06 times more likely to be depressed than those who were not bothered by tinnitus when going to bed (OR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.03-5.76, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that individuals who perceive their tinnitus to be a problem or have problems with tinnitus when going to bed may be in need of intervention to prevent or reduce their depression symptoms so as to ensure that other areas of their life are not negatively influenced.

Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and hearing sensitivity.

PURPOSE: As a follow-up to previous smaller scale studies, the purpose of the present study was to examine the link between cardiorespiratory fitness and hearing sensitivity using a nationally representative U.S. sample of adults. METHOD: Data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011) were used in the analyses. After exclusions, the final sample included 1,082 NHANES participants ages 20-49 years. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) was obtained from an established nonexercise prediction equation and through heart-rate extrapolation during a treadmill-based submaximal test. Audiometry data were objectively measured to obtain estimates of low (LPTA) and high (HPTA) pure-tone frequency average. RESULTS: VO(2max) was not associated with hearing sensitivity when using the heart-rate extrapolation method but was significantly associated with hearing sensitivity (for women) when applying the nonexercise prediction equation for both LPTA and HPTA (p < .01). Women with higher predicted cardiorespiratory fitness were 6% more likely than women with lower predicted cardio-respiratory fitness to have good hearing compared to worse hearing. CONCLUSION: Cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with hearing sensitivity when using the nonexercise prediction equation to measure VO(2max). Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Findings suggest a potentially auditory-protective effect of cardiorespiratory fitness.