Comparing self-reported and measured sensory impairments among elderly Faroese: implications for screening in remote and circumpolar communities

Age-related sensory impairments can affect quality of life and daily functioning. In remote communities, practical screening methods are essential for early detection. This cross-sectional study compared self-reported hearing and vision with objective audiologic and ophthalmologic measurements among 167 residents of the Faroe Islands aged 76 years, assessed between 2017 and 2019 by preventive home visit teams. Participants completed structured interviews followed by standardised sensory assessments. Agreement was evaluated using Cohen's kappa and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Good vision was self-reported by 60.5% of participants, whereas 28.2% met the ophthalmologic criterion for good visual acuity (≥0.80, Snellen decimal). Good hearing was self-reported by 49.7%, while 52.1% met the audiologic criterion for no hearing impairment (pure-tone average <35 dB HL). Agreement between self-reported and measured hearing was moderate (κ = 0.49; AUC = 0.77), whereas agreement for vision was poor (κ = 0.09; AUC = 0.57). Self-reported hearing may provide a feasible first-line screening approach in resource-limited settings. Self-reported vision, however, should be supplemented by objective testing. These findings support context-sensitive sensory screening strategies for older adults in remote and circumpolar communities.