Program Area: Health Sciences

Intersectionality of Sensory Loss and Race: Implications for Brain and Mental Health in Older Adults

Chair(s)

• 

  Jennifer Deal, PhD

  Assitant Professor
  Epidemiology
  Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Co-Chair(s)

• WB

  Willa Brenowitz, PhD, MPH

  Assistant Professor
  Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  University of California San Francisco
  San Francisco, California, United States

Discussant(s)

• RT

  Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., PhD, FGSA

  Professor
  Health, Behavior and Society
  Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

• 

  Faaizah Arshad

  Student
  Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  University of California, San Francisco
  Los Angeles, California, United States
• 

  John Shin, MPH

  Research Program Coordinator
  Epidemiology
  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 

  Ethan Wang

  Trainee
  Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health
  Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 

  Varshini Varadaraj, MD, MPH

  Research Associate
  Wilmer Eye Institute
  Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 

  Carrie Nieman, MD, MPH

  Associate Professor
  Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
  Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Despite recent evidence that sensory loss may increase risk of dementia, mood disorders, and poor physical health in older adults, nearly all research to-date has been conducted in populations that are predominantly White and from high-income countries. This session will investigate the intersectionality of race with sensory loss with a focus on health equity and inclusion of traditionally underrepresented populations. It will evaluate sensory loss across multiple senses, how patterns vary by race, and whether socioeconomic status can explain these differences. In the US, prevalence of impairment in vision, touch, and smell is lower in Whites compared to Black or Hispanics. Interestingly, hearing loss prevalence is lower in Blacks than Whites, but dementia incidence is higher. This session will describe incident dementia risk associated with hearing loss in Black compared to White Americans. It will also address the relationship between dual (hearing and vision) loss and depressive symptoms in India to explore the generalizability of findings to lower middle-income countries. Sensory impairments may intersect with racial discrimination to exacerbate social and health disparities. This session will also describe racial disparities in food insecurity among Americans with vision loss. Finally, we will present results of a randomized controlled trial of an innovative, community-delivered approach to affordable, accessible hearing care. The study represents the largest U.S.-based trial cohort to date of low-income older adults and older African American adults with hearing loss.

Presentations:

• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET

  Prevalence of Sensory Impairments Vary by Race in Older US Adults
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Faaizah Arshad – University of California, San Francisco
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET

  Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia Over 7 Years in Black and White Older Adults in ARIC-NCS
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: John J. Shin, MPH – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET

  Dual Sensory Loss and Depressive Symptoms: Findings from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI)
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Ethan B. Wang – Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET

  Racial Disparities in the Association Between Vision Impairment and Food Insecurity in the US
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Varshini Varadaraj, MD, MPH – Johns Hopkins University
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET

  Advancing Hearing Health Equity for Older Adults: Findings from the HEARS RCT
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Carrie L. Nieman, MD, MPH – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine