Global, Regional, and National Burdens of Hearing Loss for Children and Adolescents from 1990 to 2019: A Trend Analysis

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of global, regional, and national trends in the burden of hearing loss (HL) among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2019, using data from the Global Burden of Disease study. Over this period, there was a general decline in HL prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) globally, with average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) of −0.03% (95% uncertainty interval [UI], −0.04% to −0.01%; p = 0.001) and −0.23% (95% UI, −0.25% to −0.20%; p < 0.001). Males exhibited higher rates of HL prevalence and YLDs than females. Mild and moderate HL were the most common categories across all age groups, but the highest proportion of YLDs was associated with profound HL [22.23% (95% UI, 8.63%−57.53%)]. Among females aged 15−19 years, the prevalence and YLD rates for moderate HL rose, with AAPCs of 0.14% (95% UI, 0.06%−0.22%; p = 0.001) and 0.13% (95% UI, 0.08%−0.18%; p < 0.001). This increase is primarily attributed to age-related and other HL (such as environmental, lifestyle factors, and occupational noise exposure) and otitis media, highlighting the need for targeted research and interventions for this demographic. Southeast Asia and Western Sub-Saharan Africa bore the heaviest HL burden, while High-income North America showed lower HL prevalence and YLD rates but a slight increasing trend in recent years, with AAPCs of 0.13% (95% UI, 0.1%−0.16%; p < 0.001) and 0.08% (95% UI, 0.04% to 0.12%; p < 0.001). Additionally, the analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between sociodemographic index (SDI) and both HL prevalence ( r = −0.74; p < 0.001) and YLD ( r = −0.76; p < 0.001) rates. However, the changes in HL trends were not significantly correlated with SDI, suggesting that factors beyond economic development, such as policies and cultural practices, also affect HL. Despite the overall optimistic trend, this study emphasizes the continued need to focus on specific high-risk groups and regions to further reduce the HL burden and enhance the quality of life for affected children and adolescents.