Generation Good Hearing: the key to a brain-healthy life

What was this project about?

Generation Good Hearing: the key to a brain-healthy life focused on promoting the preservation of good hearing, crucial in the primary prevention of dementia. Our mission was to raise awareness of the importance of hearing-protective behavior (as part of a brain-healthy lifestyle) and to offer practical steps for hearing preservation (provided aids are used).

In our research, we followed the first two steps of the Intervention Mapping Protocol. This protocol is considered the gold standard for developing effective health interventions. Our goal was to share the insights as a foundation for qualitative prevention campaigns, aimed at:

• (young) older adults (60-75 years)
• primary care professionals
• other key stakeholders

Identification of the target group

We focused on two main target groups:

1. (young) older adults with ttention to vulnerable groups: older adults >60 years to 75 years with and without risk of hearing loss.
For people over 60, good hearing is crucial for remaining independent, communicating effectively, preventing dementia, and thus maintaining a good quality of life. Age-related hearing loss is a common problem. Early detection of age-related hearing loss can improve the effectiveness of hearing aids and increase self-reliance. There is often a taboo surrounding hearing loss. It is important to raise awareness and break this taboo. Furthermore, we aim to identify vulnerable older adults to support in order to reduce the social health gap.

2. (Primary) care professionals: professionals in primary care who play a key role in the prevention and detection of hearing problems. Such as general practitioners, home nurses, audiologists, and pharmacists. They play an important role in the primary (and secondary) prevention of maintaining good hearing during contact with patients.

Research into barriers and levers

We conducted a determinant analysis in both target groups to identify the barriers to and levers for hearing preservation, detection of hearing loss, and follow-up steps (early intervention, referral, etc.).

Inventory and analysis of existing campaigns

Finally, we investigated and analyzed existing campaigns. We looked at what had already been done in the field of hearing preservation and brain health, and based on this, formulated 'lessons learned' to improve existing and future prevention campaigns.

Why this project?

According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people worldwide currently have dementia, with an annual increase of nearly 10 million cases. In Belgium, too, the prediction is that the number of people with dementia will double between 2020 and 2070. In addition to the detrimental impact on the individual and their immediate environment, such as loss of autonomy and quality of life, dementia entails a significant societal cost, such as the burden on our healthcare system. Dementia constitutes one of the greatest health challenges of our generation. This is a worrying trend, although there is increasing evidence that, alongside unchangeable factors such as old age, lifestyle factors also influence the risk of dementia: such as social contact, hearing loss, and physical activity.
This is hopeful, because by focusing on primary prevention and thus encouraging a brain-healthy lifestyle among the population (even at middle age, from 40 to 75), we can reduce the risk of dementia. However, this shift towards primary prevention brings with it quite a few challenges.

Besides the fact that untreated hearing loss would directly increase the risk of dementia, good auditory input is a prerequisite for adopting a brain-healthy lifestyle. Hearing loss appears to be one of the main causes of disability among the elderly. Older adults with (untreated) hearing loss are less physically active and have an increased risk of social isolation and cognitive decline.

How did we approach this project?

Identification of vulnerable older adults
We first mapped the (vulnerable) subgroups within the (young) older adults who require the most support for hearing preservation and a brain-healthy lifestyle. We did this based on a literature review, which we used to determine the inclusion criteria for focus groups with these older adults.

Involvement of healthcare professionals
We focused on healthcare professionals who play a key role in promoting hearing preservation as a lever for a brain-healthy lifestyle during patient contacts. Based on a literature review and the results of A.1, we determined the inclusion criteria for the in-depth interviews with these healthcare professionals.

Determinant analysis in older adults
We conducted a determinant analysis (based on the Behavior Wheel) among the (young) older adults to identify the barriers and levers for