Prevalence of Subclinical Hearing Loss in the United States

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveCurrent definitions of hearing loss (HL) may be insufficiently strict, as subclinical hearing loss (SCHL; >0 and ≤25 dB hearing level) has been associated with deleterious age‐related conditions. SCHL prevalence and mean age of HL onset in the United States has not been characterized.Study DesignA cross‐sectional epidemiologic prevalence study.SettingUS Community.MethodsWe analyzed cross‐sectional audiometric data in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005‐2012, 2015‐2018, n = 15,649). Results were scaled to the current population using weighting.Results79.6% of participants (227.32 million Americans) had SCHL. The mean age of HL onset at thresholds of 25, 20, and 15 dB was 74, 66, and 55 years, respectively, for the 4‐frequency pure‐tone average, and 48, 44, and 35 years for the high‐frequency pure‐tone average.ConclusionWe present SCHL prevalence and define HL onset by various sensitive definitions. These results inform ongoing public health efforts to increase hearing aid utilization, particularly given the arrival of over‐the‐counter hearing aids.