Associations between Age-Related Hearing Loss and DietaryAssessment Using Data from Korean National Health andNutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a major and rapidly growing public health problem thatcauses disability, social isolation, and socioeconomic cost. Nutritional status is known to cause manyaging-related problems, and recent studies have suggested that there are interaction effects betweenARHL and dietary factors. We aimed to investigate the association between ARHL and dietaryassessment using data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,which is a nationwide cross-sectional survey that included 5201 participants aged≥50 years from2010 to 2012. All participants had normal findings on otoscopic examination and symmetric hearingthresholds of <15 dB between both sides. Nutritional survey data included food consumption andnutrient intake using the 24 h recall method. Data were analyzed using multiple regression modelswith complex sampling adjusted for confounding factors, such as age, sex, educational level, andhistory of diabetes. Higher intake of seeds and nuts, fruits, seaweed, and vitamin A were positivelyassociated with better hearing. Our findings suggest that dietary antioxidants or anti-inflammatoryfood may help reduce ARHL