OBJECTIVES: To examine self-reported noise sensitivity and how older community-dwelling adults subjectively experience noise in community-based venues encountered in day-to-day life.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change to clinical practice at this stage; findings are exploratory and qualitative, but they reinforce the importance of asking older patients about noise avoidance as part of routine hearing-related quality-of-life assessment.
Understanding how indoor noise drives activity avoidance in older adults could inform audiological counselling and public-space design to reduce social isolation linked to hearing difficulties.
- 01Mixed-methods design combined surveys and in-depth interviews with older community-dwelling adults.
- 02Indoor noise in everyday venues (restaurants, halls, shops) was a key driver of lifestyle and participation choices.
- 03Noise sensitivity — not just diagnosed hearing loss — influenced where older adults chose to go.
- 04Findings are exploratory; generalisability is limited by sample and qualitative design.
- 05Published in Australasian Journal on Ageing (2026); DOI 10.1111/ajag.70226.
Indoor noise in community venues affects the lifestyle choices and social participation of older adults.
studypartially supportedNoise sensitivity influences where older community-dwelling adults choose to spend time, independent of formal hearing loss diagnosis.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42703905
- DOI
- 10.1111/ajag.70226.
- Journal
- Australasian Journal on Ageing
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Older community-dwelling adults in everyday community venues
- Intervention
- Subjective indoor noise exposure and noise sensitivity assessment in daily community venues
Primary outcomes
Noise sensitivity and subjective indoor noise experiences; Impact of indoor noise on lifestyle and participation choices
