Table 4.
Prevalence of hearing impairment (WHO classification, better ear average across 0.5/1/2/4 kHz in dB) among participants with and without tinnitus.
| Tinnitus | Yes [95% CI] | No [95% CI] |
|---|---|---|
| Study cohort: | ||
| No (<20 dB) | 36.4% [33.8%; 39.1%] | 50.2% [48.6%; 51.8%] |
| Mild to moderately severe (20–64.9 dB) | 59.3% [56.6%; 62.0%] | 48.6% [47.0%; 50.2%] |
| Severe to complete (≥65 dB) | 4.3% [3.3%; 5.5%] | 1.2% [0.9%; 1.6%] |
| European standard population 2013 *: | ||
| No (<20 dB) | 51.3% [48.4%; 54.2%] | 66.8% [65.3%; 68.3%] |
| Mild to moderately severe (20–64.9 dB) | 45.8% [42.9%; 48.7%] | 32.5% [31.0%; 34.0%] |
| Severe to complete (≥65 dB) | 2.9% [2.0%; 4.0%] | 0.7% [0.5%; 1.0%] |
| German standard population 2021 *: | ||
| No (<20 dB) | 49.0% [46.1%; 51.9%] | 63.9% [62.3%; 65.4%] |
| Mild to moderately severe (20–64.9 dB) | 47.6% [44.8%; 50.5%] | 35.2% [33.7%; 36.8%] |
| Severe to complete (≥65 dB) | 3.4% [2.4%; 4.6%] | 0.9% [0.6%; 1.2%] |
* Results weighed to a reference population representative for the age structure of the European population in 2013 and the German population in 2021.