Hearing difficulties among adults : United States, 2019
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Hearing difficulties among adults : United States, 2019

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  • Description:
    Data from the National Health Interview Survey

    • In 2019, 13.0% of adults aged 18 and over had some difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid and 1.6% either had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all, even when using a hearing aid.

    • Hearing difficulties increased with age with 26.8% of those aged 65 and over having some difficulty and 4.1% having a lot of difficulty or could not hear at all.

    • Among adults aged 45 and over, men were more likely than women to have had some or a lot of difficulty or could not hear at all.

    • Non-Hispanic white adults aged 45–64 had higher rates of some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or being unable to hear at all, compared with other race and Hispanic-origin groups.

    • In 2019, 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid; use was higher among men than women in all age groups.

    Difficulty hearing is related to other functional difficulties, such as communication, and can limit participation across a range of activities including employment, education, and civic activities. While hearing loss can occur at any age, it increases with age (1,2) and has been shown to be associated with cognitive and functional decline in older adults (3–6). This report presents difficulties with hearing even when using a hearing aid among U.S. adults aged 18 and over by level of difficulty and age, sex, and race and Hispanic origin. It also presents estimates of the prevalence of hearing aid use among adults aged 45 and over to focus on the age group with higher rates of hearing difficulties.

    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:107540.

    CS325309

    db414-H.pdf

  • Content Notes:
    Key findings -- In 2019, the percentage of adults with hearing difficulties, even when using a hearing aid, increased with age -- Among adults aged 45 and over, hearing difficulties increased with age among men and women -- Difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid varied by race and Hispanic origin for those 45 and over -- Men were more likely than women to use a hearing aid among adults aged 45 and over -- Summary.
  • Series:
    NCHS Data Briefs
  • Document Type:
    Journal Issue
  • Name as Subject:
  • Genre:
    Statistics
  • Place as Subject:
    United States
  • CIO:
    National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.)
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