The Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey (AEEHS): Study protocol for a population-based cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study aims to assess the prevalence and impact of vision and hearing impairments in Australian adults, including Indigenous populations.

Contribution

The AEEHS introduces a comprehensive national survey protocol for eye and ear health in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous older Australians.

Findings

The study will collect detailed data on vision and hearing impairments across urban and rural regions.

It will include advanced diagnostic assessments like OCT and audiometry for accurate prevalence estimates.

Findings will inform health service utilization and risk factors for sensory impairments.

Abstract

Vision and hearing impairments are highly prevalent and have a significant impact on physical, psychological and social wellbeing. There is a need for accurate, contemporary national data on the prevalence, risk factors and impacts of vision and hearing loss in Australian adults.

The Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey (AEEHS) aims to determine the prevalence, risk factors and impacts of vision and hearing loss in both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous older adults.

The AEEHS is a population-based cross-sectional survey which will include 5,000 participants (3250 non-Indigenous aged 50 years or older and 1750 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 40 years or older) from 30 sites covering urban and rural/regional geographic areas, selected using a multi-stage, random cluster sampling strategy. Questionnaires will be administered to collect data on socio-demographic, medical, ocular and ontological history. The testing battery includes assessment of blood pressure, blood sugar, anthropometry, visual acuity (presenting, unaided, pinhole and best-corrected), refraction, tonometry, slit lamp and dilated eye examination, ocular imaging including optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT-angiography and retinal photography, and automated visual fields. Audiometry, tympanometry and video otoscopy will also be performed. The primary outcomes are age-standardised prevalence of cause-specific vision and hearing impairment. Secondary outcomes are prevalence of non-blinding eye diseases (including dry eye disease), patterns in health service utilisation, universal health coverage metrics, risk factors for vision and hearing impairment, and impact on quality of life.

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