SynthesisWiener klinische Wochenschrift2021
Hearing impairment and diverse health outcomes : An umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies.
Synthesis in Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- A meta-analytical umbrella review assessing urban environment exposures and cognitive health outcomes.Age and ageing · 2026Pooled it
- Comparing the prevalence, incidence and severity of mental disorders between deaf and hard-of-hearing and hearing adults aged 18-60: a systematic review.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Associations between diabetic retinopathy, mortality, disease, and mental health: an umbrella review of observational meta-analyses.BMC endocrine disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Methodological approaches for assessing certainty of the evidence in umbrella reviews: A scoping review.PloS one · 2022Pooled it
- Salivary microbiota composition and caries status in children with hearing impairment: a cross-sectional comparative study.Clinical oral investigations · 2026Article
- Elder abuse and the association with ear or hearing diseases in advanced age: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Association Between Unclean Cooking Fuel Use and Hearing Problems Among Adults Aged ≥ 65 Years, a Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Age-Related Hearing Loss: Evidence-Based Strategies for Early Detection and Management.ORL-head and neck nursing : official journal of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses · 2025Article
- The individuals' awareness and adoption of electronic health records in China: a questionnaire survey of 1,337 individuals.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Association between hearing aid use and mortality in adults with hearing loss in the USA: a mortality follow-up study of a cross-sectional cohort.The lancet. Healthy longevity · 2024Article
- Associations between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Sensory Impairments among Chinese Older Adults: Based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.Gerontology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGlobally, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of hearing impairment. Major causes of hearing loss include infection/disease, age-related factors, and occupational factors. Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have attempted to synthesise literature on these topics. To date there has not been a systematic evaluation of the relationships between hearing impairment and diverse physical, mental, and social outcomes.
objectiveWe performed an umbrella review of systematic reviews of observational studies with meta-analyses for any physical disease, biomarkers of disease, mental health or cognitive outcomes, and/or modifiable risk factors associated with hearing impairment.
methodsFor each meta-analytic association, random effects summary effect size, 95% confidence intervals, heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effect, excess significance bias and 95% prediction intervals were calculated, and risk of bias was assessed via the AMSTAR2 tool. These were used to grade significant evidence (p < 0.05) from I to IV, using the recommendations from the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria.
resultsFrom 3747 studies, 21 were included covering 54 outcomes. Overall, 44/54 outcomes (82%) yielded significant results. Of the highest quality evidence, age-related hearing loss and non-specific hearing impairment were negatively associated with several types of cognitive impairments; pediatric bilateral hearing loss was negatively associated with quality of life, sensorineural hearing loss was positively associated with rheumatoid arthritis and tinnitus was positively associated with temporomandibular disorders. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Results show moderate quality evidence for associations between several types of hearing impairments and cognitive difficulties, quality of life and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Practitioners and public health policies should note these findings when developing relevant healthcare policies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.