07/28/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/27/2021 22:08
In 2019, the percentage of adults with hearing difficulties, even when using a hearing aid, increased with age.
Figure 1. Percentage of adults aged 18 and over with difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid, by age group: United States, 2019
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1Significant quadratic trend by age (p < 0.05).
NOTES: Hearing limitation is based on responses to the survey question, 'Do you have difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid? Would you say no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or you cannot do this at all?' Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Access data table for Figure 1pdf icon .
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2019.
Among adults aged 45 and over, hearing difficulties increased with age among men and women.
Figure 2. Percentage of adults aged 45 and over with difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid, by sex and age group: United States, 2019
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1Significantly different from women p < 0.05.
2Significantly different from age group 65 and over p < 0.05.
NOTES: Hearing limitation is based on responses to the survey question, 'Do you have difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid? Would you say no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or you cannot do this at all?' Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Access data table for Figure 2pdf icon .
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2019.
Difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid varied by race and Hispanic origin for those 45 and over.
Figure 3. Percentage of adults aged 45 and over with difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid, by age group and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2019
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1Significantly different from age group 65 and over (p < 0.05).
2Significantly different from non-Hispanic white (p < 0.05).
3Significantly different from non-Hispanic black (p < 0.05).
4Relative confidence interval width is greater than 130% (actual value = 182%).
NOTES: Hearing limitation is based on responses to the survey question, 'Do you have difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid? Would you say no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or you cannot do this at all?' Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Access data table for Figure 3pdf icon .
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2019.
Men were more likely than women to use a hearing aid among adults aged 45 and over.
Figure 4. Percentage of adults aged 45 and over who used a hearing aid, by sex and age group: United States, 2019
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1Significantly different from women (p < 0.05).
2Significantly different from age group 65 and over (p < 0.05).
NOTES: Hearing limitation is based on responses to the survey question, 'Do you use a hearing aid?' Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Access data table for Figure 4pdf icon .
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2019.
Summary
In 2019, 13.0% of adults aged 18 and over had some difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid, and another 1.6% either had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all. Hearing difficulties even when using a hearing aid increased with age overall, for men and women, and for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian and Hispanic adults, although the increase for non-Hispanic black adults was not significant. Non-Hispanic white adults aged 45-64 had higher rates of some difficulty, a lot of difficulty hearing or being unable to hear at all even when using a hearing aid than other race-Hispanic-origin groups. Among those 65 and over, non-Hispanic white adults were more likely to have some difficulty hearing, whereas Hispanic adults were more likely to have a lot of difficulty or being unable to hear at all even when using a hearing aid (although only the comparison with non-Hispanic black adults was significant). In 2019, 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid, with use increasing with age and higher among men than women in all age groups.
Difficulty hearing can have major impacts on an individual's ability to fully participate in society and can adversely affect quality of life (7). The findings presented in this Data Brief are for hearing difficulties when using a hearing aid. Estimates of hearing difficulties without hearing aids, if they are used, would be higher. Advancements in hearing aid technology have resulted in improvements in hearing ability with the use of these aids but, as shown in this report, hearing difficulties remain even when hearing aids are used.
Definitions
Hearing difficulty: Based on responses to the survey question, 'Do you have difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid? Would you say no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or you cannot do this at all?'
Race and Hispanic origin: Adults categorized as Hispanic may be of any race or combination of races. Those categorized as non-Hispanic white or non-Hispanic black indicated one race only. Estimates for non-Hispanic adults of races other than white only or black only, or of multiple races, are not shown.
Data source and methods
Data from the redesigned 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used for this analysis. NHIS is a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is conducted continuously throughout the year by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Interviews are conducted in respondents' homes, but follow-ups to complete interviews may be conducted over the telephone. Data for this analysis are from the hearing section of the Sample Adult interview (n = 31,887). For more information about NHIS, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.
Point estimates and corresponding confidence intervals for this analysis were calculated using SAS-callable SUDAAN version 11.0 software (8) to account for the complex sample design of NHIS. Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 level. Other than where noted, all estimates meet NCHS standards of reliability as specified in 'National Center for Health Statistics Data Presentation Standards for Proportions' (9). In this case, the estimate is provided following careful review. While the estimate itself is not stable, significant differences compared with other estimates provide useful information.
About the authors
Jennifer H. Madans is a guest researcher in the NCHS Office of the Director. Julie D. Weeks and Nazik Elgaddal are with the NCHS Division of Analysis and Epidemiology.
References
Suggested citation
Madans JH, Weeks JD, Elgaddal N. Hearing difficulties among adults: United States, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 414. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:107540external icon .
Copyright information
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.
National Center for Health Statistics
Brian C. Moyer, Ph.D., Director
Amy M. Branum, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science
Division of Analysis and Epidemiology
Irma E. Arispe, Ph.D., Director
Kevin C. Heslin, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science