Elucidating the burden of dual-sensory impairment in community-based older individuals in a multi-ethnic society

We aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors, patient-centered impact and health-related costs of three types of dual sensory impairment (DSI) in a multi-ethnic older Asian population. In this population-based, cross-sectional study (2017–2022) of 2048 Asian adults aged ≥ 60 years, vision, hearing and olfactory impairments (VI, HI and OI) were assessed using validated clinical tests. DSI types included: VI + HI, VI + OI, and HI + OI. Age-, sex-, and ethnicity-adjusted prevalence rates (2020 Singapore Census) were calculated. Regression analyses identified associated risk factors, impacts and healthcare costs. Of the 2048 participants (mean age ± standard deviation 75.7 ± 7; 49.5% female), prevalence rates of VI + OI, VI + HI, OI + HI were 1.0%, 7.3% and 21.7%, respectively. Older age (odds ratio[OR]1.22) and multimorbidity (OR3.74) were significantly associated with VI + HI, while older age (OR1.23), males (OR3.62), living alone (OR2.37) and current smoking (OR2.51) were associated with higher odds of OI + HI. VI + HI was associated with lower HRQoL-scores (β:− 0.026), while VI + HI (OR2.39) and OI + HI (OR2.10) were associated with lower IADL status. The OI + HI group showed a trend toward higher healthcare costs compared to those without. DSI, particularly OI + HI, is relatively prevalent in older Singaporean adults. Early identification and targeted screening of at-risk groups may mitigate adverse outcomes and healthcare cost, given the global ageing population.