Aging and Health Research (Mar 2022)
The burden of vision, hearing, and dual sensory impairment in older adults in India, and its impact on different aspects of life-findings from LASI wave 1
Abstract
Background: Like other health problems of the ageing population, sensory impairment is one of the chronic conditions involving either vision, hearing, or both. The sensory impairment brings along multifold problems in their life, including individuals' mobility in the house, in activities of daily living or the day-to-day activities required to maintain their living and socialization process and can directly impact their perceived satisfaction of life. This study explored the role of sensory impairment on multiple dimensions of life in Indian population. Methods: The first wave of Longitudinal ageing study in India (LASI) data has been used in this study. The data was collected from all the States and Union Territories across India in 2017–2018. A total of 72,265 individuals (45 +) participated in this study. We stratified the analysis across four groups based on self-reporting, namely, no sensory impairment (no vision or hearing), only vision impairment, only hearing impairment and dual sensory impairment (both vision and hearing). R software with a survey package has been used for the data analysis. Results: The findings from this study showed the prevalence of vision impairment 48.0%, hearing impairment 6.9%, and dual sensory impairment nearly 5.0% in India for the year 2018 for those with an age of 45 and above. Persons with sensory impairment have demonstrated difficulty in mobility, Activities of Daily Living (ADL)/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and socialization process regardless of the type of sensory impairment. Conclusions: This paper presents the burden and experience of people with various types of sensory impairment. The findings could have a policy-level implication for the future.
