Tag: new paper

Study shows hearing intervention may reduce risk of falls among older adults

New paper led by ENU’s Dr Adele Goman is the first randomised control trial of this kind

Hearing interventions such as hearing aids and regular audiology appointments have been linked to a reduction in the number of falls among older adults, according to a new paper led by Dr Adele Goman of Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Health & Social Care.

This research, published today in the Lancet Public Health journal, showed that participants with hearing loss who were randomly assigned best practice hearing care reported an average of 27% fewer falls over the course of three years compared to a control group.

Falls are a leading cause of injury for older people and have rising mortality rates, while hearing loss is highly prevalent among those aged 70 and above. However, existing evidence on the effect of hearing aids on falls is mixed, and limited by the methodology of previous studies.

Goman and her colleagues analysed data from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study, a three-year, unmasked, randomised controlled trial of adults aged 70–84 years in the USA designed to study the effect of intervention on cognitive abilities and other health outcomes, such as falls.

The ACHIEVE study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.  It was conducted by a consortium of eight universities in the United States and led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

The 977 ACHIEVE study participants, all of whom had hearing loss, were randomly assigned to either receive a hearing intervention or to a health education control intervention. Those randomly assigned to the hearing intervention were offered regular one-to-one audiologist appointments, bilateral hearing aids, the option of additional hearing assistive devices, device use support and educational materials. The health education control intervention group received the same number of appointments with a health educator and more broad educational content on healthy aging.

For this paper, participants were asked to report the number of falls they had experienced over a period of three years. Data indicate that participants who received the hearing intervention reported an average of 27% fewer falls over the course of three years compared to a control group.

Dr Goman’s is the first known large-scale randomised control trial that has examined the effect of hearing intervention on falls.

The researchers believe the reduced number of falls among the hearing intervention group could be down to improved auditory input enhancing spatial awareness, or from having to devote less attention to processing auditory input allowing for more attention to be placed on maintaining postural control.

They are now working on a follow-up study with participants to examine the longer-term effects of hearing intervention on brain health, falls, and other health outcomes.

Dr Adele Goman said: “Hearing loss has previously been associated with a greater risk of falling among older adults, but few studies have directly investigated the connection.

“It is possible that the benefit of improved hearing may have enhanced the spatial environmental awareness of these participants, or that the lower demand on cognitive resources for hearing allowed them to focus more on their movement.

“As this is the first study of its kind, more research is needed to establish our conclusion that hearing intervention may reduce the overall average rate of falls. Our ongoing follow-up will also aim to tell us more about the effect over a longer period of time.

“We hope that these findings have the potential to inform researchers and health professionals, and address a leading cause of injury among older people.”

Jenny Gilruth: Commitment to the right to free education

Enhanced opportunities for people of all ages

Independence would allow Scotland to further improve its education system, including a proposal to enshrine the government’s policy on free tuition in Scotland’s permanent constitution, according to a new paper published by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth.

‘Education and Lifelong Learning in an Independent Scotland’, the latest paper in the Building a New Scotland series, sets out the Scottish Government’s policy proposals for education following independence.

Independence would allow future Scottish Governments to:

  • propose that the government’s policy on free university tuition becomes part of an independent Scotland’s permanent constitution, subject to the deliberations of a future Constitutional Convention
  • use all the powers of an independent nation to fully tackle child poverty, helping to ensure every child in Scotland has the opportunity to reach their full potential
  • incorporate – in full – the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law, further enhancing children’s rights
  • consider enhancements to the length and level of paid maternity leave and extending the current statutory two week leave and pay provision for partners as well as providing additional weeks of shared parental leave taken at the end of the 52 week maternity period
  • rejoin EU exchange programmes that benefit students such as Erasmus+ as part of the EU and foster good global connections by promoting international research exchange

Ms Gilruth said: “Our education system shows why making decisions in Scotland, for Scotland, is better for people who live here. 

“Since 1999 we have been able to take choices to improve opportunities for our young people – including abolishing tuition fees, expanding free school meals and investing in transformational early learning and childcare.

“But the outcomes for our children and young people continue to be harmed by decisions taken by the UK Government – particularly in terms of social security cuts, which are impacting children and families the most.

“Independence puts the full powers to tackle child poverty in Scotland’s hands, and would allow us to build on our existing policies. Modelling published last month estimates that Scottish Government policies will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty in 2024-25.

“As we have already set out, we would enshrine economic, social and cultural rights – including the right to education – in the interim constitution, effective from day one of independence.

“The Scottish Government would propose that our policy on free university tuition is enshrined in the permanent constitution of an independent Scotland, subject to the deliberations of the Constitutional Convention.

“Independence would put significant economic and legislative levers in Scotland’s hands and give future Scottish Governments a range of opportunities to do things differently on a range of key issues, like children’s rights, tackling child poverty, reserved childcare support schemes and parental leave.

“This paper sets out just some of the opportunities open to future independent Scottish Governments to build a successful and thriving Scotland.

“It shows the potential that can be unlocked for our children, young people and families – the best start in life in a fair and prosperous independent nation.”

Building a New Scotland: Education and lifelong learning in an independent Scotland

Migration in an independent Scotland

Supporting people who want to live and work in Scotland

Scotland would benefit from the creation of a migration system that could boost the economy and better meet the country’s needs according to a new paper on independence published by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.

‘Migration to Scotland after independence’, the sixth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, sets out the Scottish Government’s proposals for how migration and asylum could work in an independent Scotland.

The proposals include new visa routes to make it easier for people to live, work, study and invest in Scotland, to support population growth in rural and island areas and key economic sectors such as tourism and hospitality.

Asylum and migration policy would also be overhauled from the current UK system, with people seeking asylum given the right to work and access employability services, to help integration and address key labour market shortages.

The paper also includes details on a simplified immigration system with lower fees and new public agencies to manage how migration and citizenship systems would operate, in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to re-join the EU as an independent nation.

Ms Somerville said: “Our future success as a country is dependent above all else on the people who live here, and we value all those who have chosen to settle in Scotland for their invaluable contribution to our society and economy. 

“This paper published today sets out how, with independence, we could help ensure that success with a migration system specifically tailored to Scotland’s needs, to make it easier for more people to settle and integrate here. 

“Scotland’s population is set to fall, unlike other UK nations, under current constitutional arrangements. This means fewer people working, paying taxes and contributing to public services like the NHS. Yet Scotland is subject to the UK Government’s hostile approach to immigration which is damaging our economy.

“Control of our own migration policy would enable us to replace that approach with a system that has dignity, fairness and respect at its core, recognising above all that this is about individuals and their families.

“It is these values that will determine an independent Scotland’s approach to migration and asylum policy – to benefit our country and the people who would call it home.”

Building a New Scotland: Migration to Scotland after independence

Brexit: Counting the cost to Scotland

New paper shows scale of damage seven years on

Brexit has limited economic growth, restricted trade, increased food costs and diminished opportunities for young people, according to Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson.

Marking seven years to the day since the majority of people in Scotland voted to remain in the European Union, a paper has been published detailing the impact of Brexit, drawing from reports and official statistics.

These include:

  • an expected loss of £3 billion every year in public revenues for Scotland
  • food price inflation at a 45 year high with Brexit responsible for an estimated one third of it 
  • damaged trade with 44% of businesses in Scotland naming Brexit as the main cause of difficulties trading overseas
  • additional estimated costs of up to £600 per consignment for some shellfish exporters as a result of trade barriers
  • staff shortages reported by 45% of tourism businesses in the Highland and Islands, as a result of the loss of freedom of movement
  • loss of access to supporting funds like the €96billion Horizon research programme and Common Agriculture Policy
  • less efficient law enforcement co-operation, without access to instant EU-wide alerts and intelligence and civil justice co-operation measures
  • more costly and difficult travel arrangements, with long transit delays, more obstacles for touring artists, and roaming charges reintroduced by most operators

Mr Robertson said: “Seven years after people in Scotland resoundingly rejected Brexit, the Scottish Government has published a paper that lays clear the damage it has inflicted.

“Brexit means Scotland has now left the world’s biggest single market and no longer enjoys freedom of movement, resulting in labour shortages across the NHS, agriculture, and our hospitality sector.

“Consumers and businesses continue to face a cost of living crisis driven by rampant food inflation, while produce rots in the ground, and obstructive trade barriers that are making it harder to import and export goods from the EU.

“Scotland’s rural and research sectors have lost out on hundreds of millions of pounds worth of EU funding, which the UK Government has been unable to match. A generation of young Scots have been deprived of life-changing exchange opportunities to study abroad.

“While we will continue to do all we can to mitigate this damage through our long-standing ties with European neighbours, the fact remains that the only way to meaningfully reverse this damage and restore the benefits Scotland previously enjoyed, is for an independent Scotland to re-join the European Union.”

www.gov.scot/publications/brexit-and-scotland-june-2023-update