Aim(s):
(i) To characterise patterns of hearing problems and of hearing aid use in NICOLA and to compare these patterns in a qualitative fashion with those found in TILDA.
(ii) To evaluate the cross-sectional relationship between hearing problems and cognitive functioning, using regression modelling.
(iii) To evaluate loneliness, social isolation, and social engagement as moderators of the putative relationship between hearing problems and cognitive functioning, using a structural equation modelling approach.
(iv) To understand, using semi-structured interviews, the impact of hearing decline in later life on social and cognitive functioning.
Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland