Hearing Loss
Conditions
Brief summary
To prospectively examine the relations between adherence scores for three healthful dietary patterns, the Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010), and risk of hearing loss in the Nurses' Health Study II.
Interventions
OTHERno intervention-this was an observational study
Sponsors
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
27 Years to 66 Years
Inclusion criteria
* The investigators limited the study to women who provided information on their hearing on the 2009 or 2013 questionnaire.
Exclusion criteria
* The investigators excluded those who did not provide responses to the hearing questions on either questionnaire, reported a hearing problem that began before baseline for the current analysis (1991) or did not report date of onset, or reported cancer other than non-melanoma skin cancer. The investigators also excluded women who did not complete the baseline diet questionnaire and who had missing diet information for each subsequent time period.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing loss | 1991-2013 | The primary outcome, self-reported hearing loss that was moderate or worse in severity, was determined based on responses to the 2009 and 2013 questionnaires on which participants were asked about their hearing. On the 2009 main questionnaire, participants were asked, Do you have a hearing problem? (no, mild, moderate, severe), and At what age did you first notice a change in your hearing? On the 2013 main questionnaire, participants were asked, Which best describes your hearing? (excellent, good, a little hearing trouble, moderate hearing trouble, deaf), and Have you noticed a change in your hearing? and, if the response was Yes, At what age did you first notice a change in your hearing? |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| hearing loss in HSSQ | 1991-2013 | Detailed hearing-related information was collected electronically in 2012 supplemental questionnaire from a representative subcohort of NHS II participants (n= 33,102) with and without reported hearing problems, including information on previous evaluation for hearing loss, laterality (unilateral or bilateral), and identified causes of hearing loss (e.g. ototoxic medications, ear trauma, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, Meniere's disease, chronic ear infection). Data from the HSSQ were used to conduct sensitivity analyses using more refined case definitions (e.g. excluding known etiologies and unilateral hearing loss). |
Outcome results
None listed