TABLE 12.
Adjusted Odds Ratios Relating Hearing Loss, Audiometric Notch, and Absent DPOAE to Selected Characteristics Among Canadians, Aged 16 to 79 Years
| Hearing Loss, Notch, and DPOAE | ||||||||||||||||||
| FFPTA | HFPTA | LFPTA | Any HL | Audiometric Notch‡ | Absent DPOAE | |||||||||||||
| 95% Confidence Interval | 95% Confidence Interval | 95% Confidence Interval | 95% Confidence Interval | 95% Confidence Interval | 95% Confidence Interval | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted Odds Ratio | From | To | Adjusted Odds Ratio | From | To | Adjusted Odds Ratio | From | To | Adjusted Odds Ratio | From | To | Adjusted Odds Ratio | From | To | Adjusted Odds Ratio | From | To | |
| Sex | ||||||||||||||||||
| Men | 2.2 | 1.3 | 3.8* | 2.1 | 1.0 | 4.2* | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 4.2* | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.9* | 3.7 | 2.1 | 6.8* |
| Women† | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — |
| Age (continuous) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1* | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1* | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1* | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1* | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1* |
| Education (highest level in household) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Postsecondary or more† | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — |
| Less than postsecondary | 1.8 | 1.2 | 2.7* | 1.8 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.9 |
| Time worked in a noisy environment | ||||||||||||||||||
| Never† | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.0 | — | — |
| Up to 10 years | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| 10 years or more | 2.0 | 1.1 | 3.7* | 1.5 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 3.1* | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
Any HL: FFPTA and/or HFPTA and/or LFPTA.
Hearing loss thresholds: >20 dB (child/youth 16–18 years).
>25 dB (adult 19–79 years).
FFPTA, four-frequency pure tone average over frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz); LFPTA, low-frequency pure tone average over frequencies (0.5, 1, and 2 kHz).
HFPTA: high frequency pure tone average over frequencies (3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz).
*Significantly different from estimate for reference category (P < 0.05).
†Reference category.
‡Criteria for audiometric notch 1: (1) thresholds at 0.5 and 1 kHz of ≤15 dB, (2) maximal threshold at 3, 4, or 6 kHz ≥15 dB higher than the highest threshold for 0.5 and 1 kHz, and (3) threshold at 8 kHz ≥10 dB lower (better than) the maximal threshold for 3, 4, or 6 kHz. (Niskar et al46).
Source: 2012/2013 Canadian Health Measures Survey (Cycle 3).