A generational comparison reveals the vision and hearing of older adults has improved

Good vision and hearing support independent living, communication and mobility in older age. Sensory impairments can hinder daily functioning and increase the need for support. Although vision and hearing loss are common in older age, recent research shows that sensory impairments are encountered less frequently than in previous decades.  

“We observed that fewer 75- and 80-year-old men and women had impaired vision compared to individuals of the same age almost 30 years earlier,” says Doctoral Researcher Maija Välimaa from the Gerontology Research Center at the University of Jyväskylä. “However, hearing impairment had become less prevalent only among men.” 

The findings can be partly explained by the higher level of education among the later-born cohort. Researchers suggest that higher educational level reflects broader improvements in living conditions.  

“Today’s 75- and 80-year-olds have grown up and aged in a society that differs significantly from that of previous generations,” says Välimaa. “Advances in healthcare and education, along with greater diversity in working life and improved occupational safety, have reduced exposure to health risks and increased opportunities to take care of one’s health. These changes are reflected in vision and hearing in older age.”   

The findings are supported by both Finnish and international studies. For example, data collected by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare shows that the vision of Finnish adults has steadily improved since the 2000s. Similarly, studies conducted in the Nordic countries reinforce the notion that the hearing of younger generations of men has improved.  

“Studies show that aging does not necessarily mean a decline in sensory functions,” says Välimaa. “Nowadays, vision and hearing tend to remain better for longer than before. These results raise an interesting question about the extent to which improved vision and hearing have contributed to a better functional status in older age – particularly with regard to mobility and cognition, where we have found differences between cohorts in our previous studies.”    

The study, conducted at the Gerontology Research Center at the University of Jyväskylä, was based on two independent cohorts measuring the health and functioning of community-dwelling men and women aged 75 and 80 in Finland. The first cohort from the Evergreen study, conducted in 1989–1990, comprised 500 individuals born in 1910 and 1914. The second cohort comprised 726 individuals born in 1938–1939 or 1942–1943, who were examined as a part of the Active Ageing (AGNES) study in 2017–2018. The research project was funded by the Academy of Finland and the European Research Council.     

Original publication: 

Välimaa, M., Koivunen, K., Viljanen, A., Rantanen, T. &  von Bonsdorff, M. (2025). Cohort comparison of vision and hearing in 75- and 80-year-old men and women born 28 years apart. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, online. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2024.105653   

Further information: 

Maija Välimaa 
Doctoral Researcher 
University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences
maija.mv.valimaa@jyu.fi 
+358504797201