Perceived Hearing Impairment in a Rural Community

Age-related hearing impairment yields many negative outcomes, including alterations in mental health, functional impairments, and decreased social engagement. The purpose of the current study was to ex-amine perceived hearing impairment and its relationship with person-centered outcomes among adults in a rural community setting. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was used. Survey packets of validated instruments were distributed following all weekend services at a rural community church; 72 completed surveys were returned (26% response rate). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Spearman's rank correlations (rs), were used to address the study aims. Mean age of participants was 54 years (SD = 17 years), 58% were female, and 97% attended church regularly. Thirty-one percent of respon-dents reported moderate to severe hearing impairment. Perceived hearing impairment was associated with more depressive symptoms (rs = 0.24, p = 0.052), poorer attentional function (rs = -0.29, p = 0.016), and decreased quality of life in the mental health domain (rs = -0.21, p = 0.081). Findings expand evi-dence supporting the relationship between hearing and person-centered outcomes, including a func-tional measure of cognition. These results serve as a foundation for the design of a community-driven, church-based hearing health intervention. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(1), 21-32.]