Abstract
This study aimed to identify the relationship between pure-tone thresholds and self-perceived hearing in community-frail elderly, and elucidate the characteristics of elderly people with a discrepancy between pure-tone thresholds and self-perceived hearing. A group self-administered questionnaire and pure-tone audiometry were carried out with elderly participants of a care prevention program. The subjects were 139 people. A discrepancy between pure-tone threshold and self-perceived hearing was seen in four people who could not hear any tones and seven people who could hear only some tones, but did not think they had poor hearing. They tended not to have ear disease, not to have been told they are hard of hearing, and not to have a hearing handicap. Twenty-three people who could hear all tones but thought they had poor hearing tended not live with family and to have ear disease, to have been told by others they are hard of hearing, and to have a hearing handicap.
This suggests that when a self-administered hearing questionnaire is used in place of pure-tone audiometry, confirmation of whether a person has an ear disease, has been told by others they are hard of hearing, has a hearing handicap, and lives with family is necessary.
