PP403 - Measuring Listening Related Fatigue in the Clinic: Effects of Age, Hearing Loss, and Hearing Aid Use

Abstract:
Recently, the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale for Adults (VFS-A-10) was created to assess listen related fatigue in the clinic. VFS-A-10 scores were collected before and after hearing aid use on 75 individuals aged 60 to 91. Statistical analysis reveals the relationship  between wearer age, degree of hearing, average daily wear time and VFS-A-10 scores. Clinical implications of these results will be discussed.

Summary:
Fatigue is a well-known psychosocial consequence of hearing loss. More precisely, listening-related fatigue is a type of fatigue associated with sustaining effort and attention during a listening task (Hornsby et al., 2021).

Listening-related fatigue is believed to be highly challenging for persons with hearing loss, leading to greater levels of stress during communication and often has a detrimental effect of quality of life (Holman, et al, 2019). In adults with hearing loss, listening-related fatigue is also linked with being less productive at work, more prone to accidents, more socially isolated, and more likely to be depressed (Davis et al 2021).

Bennett et al (2022) also reported fatigue was the third most experienced emotional distress associated with hearing loss, surpassed only by social overwhelm and frustration.

Seventy-five adult hearing aid wearers, between the ages of 60 and 91 were administered the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale for adults (VFS-A-10) pre and post hearing aid intervention. Statistical analysis examined the relationship between age, degree of hearing loss and daily hours of hearing aid use on aided scores of the VFS-A-10 at 1-month and 6-months post fitting.