Utilizing the NHANES I data (1971-1975), persons with visual and hearing impairment will be divided into several levels of impairment. The NHANES Follow-up Study (1982-1984) will be used to determine the specific outcomes. Specific variables to be considered include the number of hospitalizations between 1971 and 1984, the number and types of associated diagnoses both medical and psychiatric, and the individual's functional level. The focus of this investigation is to describe the course and prognosis associated with visual and hearing impairment and to identify populations at increased risk for deterioration in their functional level. Descriptive and analytic approaches are to be used in interpreting the data.
