In China's ageing population, hearing-impaired middle-aged and older adults face cognitive vulnerability. We aimed to explore the effects of hearing aid use on cognitive function and to examine the mediating role of social activity in this relationship.
This observational finding supports counseling patients that hearing aid use may help preserve thinking and memory skills partly by keeping them socially engaged, but a causal link cannot be confirmed from survey data alone.
Identifying social activity as a mediating pathway between hearing aid use and cognitive outcomes adds nuance to the hearing-cognition debate and could inform holistic rehabilitation strategies.
- 01Hearing aid use was associated with better cognitive function in Chinese middle-aged and older adults with hearing impairment.
- 02Social activity partially mediated the relationship between hearing aid use and cognitive outcomes.
- 03Study design is cross-sectional/survey-based, limiting causal inference.
- 04Findings align with growing evidence linking hearing rehabilitation to cognitive health.
- 05Results may have particular relevance in populations with low hearing aid uptake rates.
Hearing aid use is associated with better cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults with hearing impairment.
studypartially supportedSocial activity mediates the association between hearing aid use and cognitive function.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42171384
- DOI
- 10.7189/jogh.16.04120.
- Journal
- Journal of Global Health
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 3
- Population
- Chinese middle-aged and older adults with hearing impairment
- Intervention
- Hearing aid use
- Comparator
- No hearing aid use
Primary outcomes
Cognitive function scores; Mediating effect of social activity on the hearing aid–cognition association