Age and sex differences in hearing loss association with depressive symptoms: analyses of NHANES 2011-2012.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common and significant health problem. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in the USA and might be a factor in depression. To determine whether hearing loss is associated with depressive symptoms in US adults ages 20-69 years. METHODS: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2011-2012) were used to assess the potential relationship between hearing loss and depression, in adults (20-69 years) who answered the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression screening module, with pure tone audiometry measurements, and complete information on the co-variates data (n = 3316). The degree of speech-frequency hearing loss (SFHL) and high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) were defined as slight/mild hearing loss ⩾26-40 dB; moderate/worse hearing loss ⩾41 dB by pure tone audiometry examination. RESULTS: Moderate/worse HFHL was statistically significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR 1.54, 95% CL 1.04-2.27) when the analyses were conducted among all participants. Further stratification by gender and age groups found that moderate/worse HFHL (OR 3.85, 95% CL 1.39-10.65) and moderate/worse SFHL (OR 5.75, 95% CL 1.46-22.71) were associated with depressive symptoms in women ages 52-69 years. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate/worse speech frequency and HFHL are associated with depression in women ages 52-69 years, independent of other risk factors. Hearing screenings are likely to reduce delays in diagnosis and provide early opportunities for noise prevention counseling and access to hearing aids. Health professionals should be aware of depressive signs and symptoms in patients with hearing loss.

Use of Personal Hearing Protection Devices at Loud Athletic or Entertainment Events Among Adults - United States, 2018.

Tens of millions of U.S. residents have a range of adverse health outcomes caused by noise exposure (1). During 2011-2012, 21 million U.S. adults who reported no exposure to loud or very loud noise at work exhibited hearing damage suggestive of noise-induced hearing loss (2). In addition to the known risk for hearing damage, nonauditory adverse health outcomes and health risks from excessive environmental sound exposure can include effects on the cardiovascular system, metabolism, blood pressure, body weight, cognition, sleep, mental health, quality of life, and overall well-being (1,3,4). CDC analyzed a representative sample of the U.S. adult population (aged ≥18 years) from a 2018 national marketing survey (50 states and the District of Columbia) that included questions about use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) (e.g., ear plugs or ear muffs) during recreational exposure to loud athletic and entertainment events; approximately 8% of respondents reported consistent use of an HPD at these types of events. Among those adults more likely to wear an HPD, 63.8% had at least some college education, and 49.1% had higher income levels. Women and older adults were significantly less likely to use HPDs. These findings suggest a need to strengthen a public health focus on the adverse health effects of excessive noise exposure at home and in recreational settings as well as a need for continued efforts to raise public awareness about the protective value of HPDs.

Vital Signs: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Adults - United States 2011-2012.

INTRODUCTION: The 2016 National Academies of Sciences report "Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability" included a call to action for government agencies to strengthen efforts to collect, analyze, and disseminate population-based data on hearing loss in adults. METHODS: CDC analyzed the most recent available data collected both by questionnaire and audiometric tests of adult participants aged 20-69 years in the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to determine the presence of audiometric notches indicative of noise-induced hearing loss. Prevalence of both unilateral and bilateral audiometric notches and their association with sociodemographics and self-reported exposure to loud noise were calculated. RESULTS: Nearly one in four adults (24%) had audiometric notches, suggesting a high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss. The prevalence of notches was higher among males. Almost one in four U.S. adults who reported excellent or good hearing had audiometric notches (5.5% bilateral and 18.0% unilateral). Among participants who reported exposure to loud noise at work, almost one third had a notch. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE: Noise-induced hearing loss is a significant, often unrecognized health problem among U.S. adults. Discussions between patients and personal health care providers about hearing loss symptoms, tests, and ways to protect hearing might help with early diagnosis of hearing loss and provide opportunities to prevent harmful noise exposures. Avoiding prolonged exposure to loud environments and using personal hearing protection devices can prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

Association of Obesity with Hearing Impairment in Adolescents.

Hearing loss (HL) is the third most common chronic physical condition in the United States. Obesity has become an increasingly important public health concern, as the prevalence in children, adolescents and adults has increased over the past few decades. The objectives of this study is to investigate whether obesity is associated with audiometric notches indicative of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), speech frequency hearing loss (SFHL), and high frequency hearing loss (HFHL) in adolescent participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010. The prevalence of overall audiometric notches in the adolescent population was 16.0% with higher prevalence in females than males. The prevalence of SFHL and HFHL were higher in males than females (SFHL, 7.3% vs. 5.4%, respectively; and HFHL 14.3% vs. 8.1%, respectively). Obese adolescents had a higher adjusted OR to have audiometric notches (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.33-2.81) and HFHL (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.19-3.21). Continued preventative efforts towards reducing obesity might also help to reduce the risk for HL and NIHL.

Examples of applied public health through the work of the Epidemic Intelligence Service officers at CDC's National Center for Environmental Health: 2006-2015.

The Epidemic Intelligence Service officers (EISOs) at the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) respond to public health outbreaks, assist public health surveillance, and recommend public health actions. We summarize the breadth of work done by EISOs assigned to NCEH/ATSDR during 2006-2015. We used the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases to identify articles authored by the EISOs, number and types of epidemiologic assistance field investigations (Epi-Aids), and interviewed NCEH/ATSDR programs with EISO assignees. The largest number of NCEH/ATSDR EISO publications (n = 61) and Epi-Aids (n = 110) related to toxic chemicals (23 and 37, respectively), followed by natural disasters and those caused by humans (19 and 25, respectively), extreme temperature-related illness (9), and chronic diseases (8). The investigations raised awareness, identified risk factors and public health needs, and introduced better prevention and protection measures for human health. Through field investigations and other technical assistance, NCEH/ATSDR provided leadership and staff scientists to assist in the field, as well as knowledge transfer to local, state, territorial, and international health departments.