Table 5. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical symptoms in the minimal hearing loss group compared to the normal hearing group.
| Classifications | Frequency | Weighted Frequency | Weighted Percent (%) | Univariable analysis | Multivariable analysis | ||||
| P-value | OR | 95% CI | P-value | OR | 95% CI | ||||
| Subjective hearing loss | |||||||||
| Total | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 14,245 | 31,889,494 | 93 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| discomfort | 1,324 | 2,393,253 | 7 | ||||||
| Normal hearing (ref) | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 8,243 | 20,255,980 | 96.9 | ref | ref | ref | ref | ref | ref |
| discomfort | 268 | 652,917 | 3.1 | ||||||
| Minimal hearing loss | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 6,002 | 11,633,514 | 87 | < 0.0001* | 4.641 | 3.901–5.522 | < 0.0001* | 2.729 | 2.217–3.360 |
| discomfort (event) | 1,056 | 1,740,336 | 13 | ||||||
| USHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 2,178 | 4,515,893 | 90.2 | < 0.0001* | 3.388 | 1.599–2.119 | < 0.0001* | 2.484 | 1.815–3.400 |
| discomfort (event) | 265 | 493,123 | 9.8 | ||||||
| Slight USHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 1,796 | 3,729,636 | 93 | < 0.0001* | 2.339 | 1.258–1.859 | 0.0168* | 1.61 | 1.059–2.447 |
| discomfort (event) | 153 | 281,149 | 7 | ||||||
| Mild to profound USHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 382 | 786,257 | 78.8 | < 0.0001* | 8.365 | 2.266–3.692 | < 0.0001* | 6.556 | 3.904–11.010 |
| discomfort (event) | 112 | 211,974 | 21.2 | ||||||
| BSHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 2,738 | 4,672,983 | 81.6 | < 0.0001* | 6.98 | 2.360–2.957 | < 0.0001* | 3.781 | 2.768–5.166 |
| discomfort (event) | 688 | 1,051,318 | 18.4 | ||||||
| Minimal BSHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 1,625 | 2,923,129 | 87.9 | < 0.0001* | 4.254 | 1.782–2.388 | < 0.0001* | 2.687 | 1.782–4.051 |
| discomfort (event) | 243 | 400,770 | 12.1 | ||||||
| Mild BSHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 1,113 | 1,749,854 | 72.9 | < 0.0001* | 11.534 | 2.957–3.901 | < 0.0001* | 6.352 | 4.229–9.540 |
| discomfort (event) | 445 | 650,548 | 27.1 | ||||||
| HFSHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 1,086 | 2,444,638 | 92.6 | < 0.0001* | 2.486 | 1.316–1.889 | 0.0141* | 1.732 | 1.090–2.752 |
| discomfort (event) | 103 | 195,895 | 7.4 | ||||||
| Unilateral HFSHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 466 | 1,004,601 | 88.9 | < 0.0001* | 3.878 | 1.529–2.537 | < 0.0001* | 2.499 | 1.351–4.622 |
| discomfort (event) | 62 | 125,562 | 11.1 | ||||||
| Bilateral HFSHL | |||||||||
| not discomfort | 620 | 1,440,037 | 95.3 | 0.3012 | 1.515 | 0.931–1.628 | 1.000 | 1.089 | 0.563–2.108 |
| discomfort (event) | 41 | 70,333 | 4.7 | ||||||
| Presence of tinnitus | |||||||||
| Total | |||||||||
| yes | 3,120 | 6,679,347 | 19.5 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| no | 12,449 | 27,603,399 | 80.5 | ||||||
| Normal hearing (ref) | |||||||||
| yes | 1,435 | 3,616,316 | 17.3 | ref | ref | ref | ref | ref | ref |
| no | 7,076 | 17,292,580 | 82.7 | ||||||
| Minimal hearing loss | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 1,685 | 3,063,031 | 22.9 | < 0.0001* | 1.421 | 1.275–1.583 | < 0.0001* | 1.520 | 1.333–1.734 |
| no | 5,373 | 10,310,819 | 77.1 | ||||||
| USHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 527 | 1,065,106 | 21.3 | 0.0018* | 1.291 | 1.040–1.242 | < 0.0001* | 1.460 | 1.199–1.776 |
| no | 1,916 | 3,943,910 | 78.7 | ||||||
| Slight USHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 393 | 798,167 | 19.9 | 0.2598 | 1.188 | 0.974–1.219 | 0.0042* | 1.376 | 1.075–1.762 |
| no | 1,556 | 3,212,618 | 80.1 | ||||||
| Mild to profound USHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 134 | 266,939 | 26.7 | 0.0002* | 1.745 | 1.108–1.575 | < 0.0001* | 2.010 | 1.388–2.912 |
| no | 360 | 731,292 | 73.3 | ||||||
| BSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 906 | 1,462,309 | 25.5 | < 0.0001* | 1.641 | 1.184–1.386 | < 0.0001* | 1.939 | 1.580–2.378 |
| no | 2,520 | 4,261,991 | 74.5 | ||||||
| Minimal BSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 490 | 756,671 | 31.5 | 0.0216* | 1.289 | 1.012–1.273 | < 0.0001* | 1.637 | 1.260–2.126 |
| no | 1,068 | 1,643,731 | 68.5 | ||||||
| Mild BSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 252 | 535,615 | 20.3 | < 0.0001* | 2.201 | 1.343–1.639 | < 0.0001* | 3.145 | 2.362–4.189 |
| no | 937 | 2,104,918 | 79.7 | ||||||
| HFSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 252 | 535,615 | 20.3 | 0.1653 | 1.217 | 0.976–1.246 | < 0.0001* | 1.871 | 1.402–2.496 |
| no | 937 | 2,104,918 | 79.7 | ||||||
| Unilateral HFSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 115 | 227,892 | 20.2 | 1 | 1.208 | 0.914–1.322 | < 0.0001* | 2.006 | 1.315–3.060 |
| no | 413 | 902,271 | 79.8 | ||||||
| Bilateral HFSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 137 | 307,723 | 20.4 | 0.7446 | 1.224 | 0.931–1.315 | 0.0004* | 1.784 | 1.224–2.600 |
| no | 524 | 1,202,647 | 79.6 | ||||||
| Presence of annoying tinnitus | |||||||||
| Total | |||||||||
| yes | 14,688 | 32,548,170 | 94.9 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| no | 881 | 1,734,576 | 5.1 | ||||||
| Normal hearing (ref) | |||||||||
| yes | 8,225 | 20,231,329 | 96.8 | ref | ref | ref | ref | ref | ref |
| no | 286 | 677,568 | 3.2 | ||||||
| Minimal hearing loss | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 6,463 | 12,316,841 | 92.1 | < 0.0001* | 2.562 | 2.129–3.083 | < 0.0001* | 1.868 | 1.511–2.310 |
| no | 595 | 1,057,008 | 7.9 | ||||||
| USHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 2,266 | 4,650,684 | 92.8 | < 0.0001* | 2.301 | 1.308–1.759 | < 0.0001* | 1.946 | 1.413–2.680 |
| no | 177 | 358,332 | 7.2 | ||||||
| Slight USHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 1,833 | 3,781,937 | 94.3 | 0.0002* | 1.807 | 1.117–1.618 | 0.0186* | 1.545 | 1.050–2.274 |
| no | 116 | 228,848 | 5.7 | ||||||
| Mild to profound USHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 433 | 868,748 | 87 | < 0.0001* | 4.45 | 1.626–2.736 | < 0.0001* | 3.906 | 2.277–6.701 |
| no | 61 | 129,484 | 13 | ||||||
| BSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 3,080 | 5,174,162 | 90.4 | < 0.0001* | 3.175 | 1.568–2.025 | < 0.0001* | 2.099 | 1.5523–2.894 |
| no | 346 | 550,139 | 9.6 | ||||||
| Minimal BSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 1,735 | 3,103,064 | 93.4 | < 0.0001* | 2.125 | 1.205–1.764 | 0.0210* | 1.589 | 1.048–2.410 |
| no | 133 | 220,834 | 6.6 | ||||||
| Mild BSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 1,345 | 2,071,097 | 86.3 | < 0.0001* | 4.748 | 1.869–2.541 | < 0.0001* | 3.618 | 2.213–5.915 |
| no | 213 | 329,305 | 13.7 | ||||||
| HFSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 1,117 | 2,491,995 | 94.4 | 0.0018* | 1.78 | 1.093–1.629 | 0.00451* | 1.952 | 1.183–3.2219 |
| no | 72 | 148,538 | 5.6 | ||||||
| Unilateral HFSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 491 | 1,069,736 | 94.7 | 0.0774 | 1.687 | 0.985–1.712 | 0.162 | 1.734 | 0.901–3.336 |
| no | 37 | 60,427 | 5.3 | ||||||
| Bilateral HFSHL | |||||||||
| yes (event) | 626 | 1,422,260 | 94.2 | 0.0324* | 1.85 | 1.018–1.818 | 0.0288* | 2.032 | 1.049–3.935 |
| no | 35 | 88,111 | 5.8 | ||||||
| Classifications | Frequency | Weighted Frequency | Average | Univariable analysis | Multivariable analysis | ||||
| P-value | P-value | ||||||||
| EQ-5D index | |||||||||
| Total | 13,730 | 29,912,914 | 0.956 | - | - | ||||
| Normal hearing (ref) | 6,906 | 17,066,487 | 0.972 | ref | ref | ||||
| Minimal hearing loss | 6,824 | 12,846,427 | 0.935 | < 0.0001* | < 0.0001* | ||||
| USHL | 2,311 | 4,716,951 | 0.949 | < 0.0001* | 0.0024* | ||||
| Slight USHL | 1,850 | 3,785,067 | 0.949 | < 0.0001* | 0.0078* | ||||
| Mild to profound USHL | 461 | 931,884 | 0.95 | 0.0001* | 1.000 | ||||
| BSHL | 3,348 | 5,558,945 | 0.911 | < 0.0001* | < 0.0001* | ||||
| Minimal BSHL | 1,868 | 3,323,898 | 0.926 | < 0.0001* | < 0.0001* | ||||
| Mild BSHL | 1558 | 2,400,402 | 0.889 | < 0.0001* | < 0.0001* | ||||
| HFSHL | 1,165 | 2,570,532 | 0.962 | 0.0084* | 0.936 | ||||
| Unilateral HFSHL | 520 | 1,099,964 | 0.961 | 0.168 | 1.000 | ||||
| Bilateral HFSHL | 645 | 1,470,568 | 0.962 | 0.1752 | 1.000 | ||||
Multivariate analysis adjusted for age and sex. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference (P < 0.05).
USHL, unilateral sensorineural hearing loss; BSHL, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss; HFSHL, high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio