TABLE 1—
Prevalence of and Numbers of Individuals With Hearing Loss, by Age and Severity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2001–2010
| Prevalence, % (95% CI) |
Number With Hearing Loss (Millions) |
|||||||||
| Hearing Loss Category and Age, y | Mild | Moderate | Severe | Profound | Overall | Mild | Moderate | Severe | Profound | Overall |
| Bilaterala | ||||||||||
| 12–19 y | 0.14 (0.04, 0.24) | 0.03b (0.00, 0.06) | . . .c | 0.00b (0.00, 0.01) | 0.18 (0.07, 0.28) | 0.05 | 0.01 | . . .c | <0.01 | 0.06 |
| 20–29 y | 0.34b (0.00, 0.88) | 0.07b (0.00, 0.20) | . . .c | . . .c | 0.42b (0.00, 0.97) | 0.15 | 0.03 | . . .c | . . .c | 0.18 |
| 30–39 y | 1.01b (0.18, 1.84) | 0.55b (0.00, 1.21) | 0.08b (0.00, 0.25) | . . .c | 1.64 (0.23, 3.06) | 0.41 | 0.23 | 0.03 | . . .c | 0.68 |
| 40–49 y | 6.05 (3.71, 8.40) | 0.48b (0.00, 1.01) | . . .c | . . .c | 6.53 (4.19, 8.88) | 2.46 | 0.20 | . . .c | . . .c | 2.65 |
| 50–59 y | 10.48 (7.34, 13.62) | 2.13 (0.79, 3.46) | 0.35b (0.00, 0.78) | 0.34b (0.00, 0.99) | 13.29 (9.76, 16.81) | 4.57 | 0.93 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 5.80 |
| 60–69 y | 19.94 (15.03, 24.84) | 5.85 (3.53, 8.17) | 0.76b (0.00, 1.70) | 0.25b (0.00, 0.75) | 26.80 (22.25, 31.35) | 6.92 | 2.03 | 0.27 | 0.09 | 9.31 |
| 70–79 y | 35.62 (31.03, 40.22) | 15.83 (13.63, 18.04) | 2.86 (1.60, 4.12) | 0.30b (0.02, 0.59) | 54.62 (49.27, 59.97) | 6.84 | 3.04 | 0.55 | 0.06 | 10.49 |
| ≥80 y | 36.02 (32.03, 40.01) | 37.92 (33.40, 42.44) | 6.97 (4.94, 9.01) | 0.56b (0.01, 1.10) | 81.47 (78.12, 84.82) | 3.98 | 4.19 | 0.77 | 0.06 | 9.01 |
| Total | 25.39 | 10.66 | 1.77 | 0.35 | 38.17 | |||||
| Loss in at least 1 ear (unilateral and bilateral) | ||||||||||
| 12–19 y | 1.18 (0.77, 1.59) | 0.46 (0.18, 0.74) | 0.31 (0.11, 0.51) | 0.01b (0.00, 0.03) | 1.96 (1.39, 2.54) | 0.39 | 0.15 | 0.10 | < 0.01 | 0.65 |
| 20–29 y | 2.32 (0.92, 3.72) | 0.62b (0.00, 1.75) | 0.02b (0.00, 0.05) | 0.26b (0.00, 0.65) | 3.22 (1.38, 5.07) | 1.02 | 0.28 | 0.01 | 0.11 | 1.42 |
| 30–39 y | 3.50 (1.91, 5.09) | 1.38 (0.15, 2.62) | 0.30b (0.00, 0.76) | 0.25b (0.00, 0.63) | 5.43 (3.28, 7.58) | 1.44 | 0.57 | 0.12 | 0.10 | 2.23 |
| 40–49 y | 10.02 (7.41, 12.64) | 2.00 (1.01, 3.00) | 0.86b (0.00, 1.88) | 0.06b (0.00, 0.19) | 12.95 (9.85, 16.04) | 4.07 | 0.81 | 0.35 | 0.03 | 5.25 |
| 50–59 y | 21.30 (16.57, 26.02) | 5.49 (3.35, 7.63) | 0.82b (0.06, 1.57) | 1.08b (0.06, 2.10) | 28.69 (23.63, 33.74) | 9.30 | 2.40 | 0.36 | 0.47 | 12.52 |
| 60–69 y | 29.38 (24.46, 34.29) | 12.12b (8.62, 15.62) | 2.06 (0.61, 3.51) | 1.30b (0.29, 2.31) | 44.86 (40.79, 48.92) | 10.20 | 4.21 | 0.72 | 0.45 | 15.58 |
| 70–79 y | 37.51 (33.10, 41.92) | 21.14 (17.88, 24.40) | 7.47 (5.75, 9.19) | 2.04 (1.06, 3.01) | 68.15 (62.78, 73.53) | 7.21 | 4.06 | 1.43 | 0.39 | 13.09 |
| ≥80 y | 31.42 (26.75, 36.08) | 40.83 (36.42, 45.24) | 13.80 (11.13, 16.47) | 4.24 (2.49, 5.99) | 90.29 (87.20, 93.39) | 3.47 | 4.51 | 1.53 | 0.47 | 9.98 |
| Total | 37.10 | 16.99 | 4.61 | 2.03 | 60.73 | |||||
Note. CI = confidence interval. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average (at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) of above 25 dB hearing level. The sample size was n = 9648.
a
Severity of bilateral loss is based on the better ear.
b
The unweighted number of individuals in the category is < 10.
c
No individuals with this hearing loss severity level were observed in the sample.