The interactions of sensory, cognitive, and social factors and their influence on the health and quality of life of older Canadians

Hearing loss (HL), vision loss (VL) and dual sensory loss (a combination of both HL and VL; DL), together with cognitive decline, are among the most common chronic health conditions in older adults. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between sensory loss and many aspects of cognitive, mental, physical and social health including dementia, depression, falls, social isolation, lower earning potential, limitations in activities of daily living, greater dependence on the informal caregiving network, increased use of formal health care resources, lower quality of life and even mortality. Despite (and perhaps contributing to) these findings, adult-onset HL, VL and DL are frequently under-diagnosed and untreated especially in individuals with compromised cognition. The disability resulting from sensory loss may be affected by interactions between factors in all five domains of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. How these personal, environmental, physical, activity and participation factors interact to influence the disability associated with HL, VL and DL will be the focus of our analyses of data collected through the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). In turn, the results will inform public health interventions aimed at equitably preventing and reducing the disability associated with sensory impairment among older adults (aged 65+) in Canada.