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Review
. 2019 Sep 3;9(9):a033258.
doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033258.

The Epidemiology of Deafness

Abraham M Sheffield  1 , Richard J H Smith  2   3   4   5
Affiliations
Review

The Epidemiology of Deafness

Abraham M Sheffield et al. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. .

Abstract

Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit worldwide. It affects ∼5% of the world population, impacts people of all ages, and exacts a significant personal and societal cost. This review presents epidemiological data on hearing loss. We discuss hereditary hearing loss, complex hearing loss with genetic and environmental factors, and hearing loss that is more clearly related to environment. We also discuss the disparity in hearing loss across the world, with more economically developed countries having overall lower rates of hearing loss compared with developing countries, and the opportunity to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this disorder.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Prevalence of disabling hearing loss in adults (15 years and older) and children (younger than 15 years). Disabling hearing loss is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as thresholds >30 dB for children and >40 dB for adults. (Data based on 2018 WHO Global Estimates on Prevalence of Hearing Loss.)
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
General global overview of environmental and genetic contributions to congenital hearing loss; percentages change in specific countries and under specific conditions (see Smith et al. 2005). Environmental etiologies include infections, ototoxic medications, prematurity, and others.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Prevalence of individuals in the United States with hearing loss by age. Data based on National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys 2001 through 2008 (see Lin et al. 2011). Hearing loss is defined as thresholds of 25 dB or greater in at least one ear. Error bars represent 95% confidence interval.
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