Absorbance Measurements From Normal-hearing Ears in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016 and 2017–2020

Abstract

Objective: To summarize absorbance and impedance angles from normal-hearing ears within the 2015–2016 and 2017–2020 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Design: Two publicly available NHANES datasets were analyzed. Ears meeting criteria for normal hearing and valid absorbance and impedance angle measurements were identified. Measurements were summarized via descriptive statistics within categories of age cohort, race/ethnicity cohort, sex (male, female), and ear (left, right). Results: A total of 7029 ears from 4150 subjects, ages 6 to 80 years, met inclusion criteria. Differences between subgroups within all categories (age, race/ethnicity, sex, and ear) were fractions of the sample SDs. The largest differences occurred between age cohorts younger than 20 years. Conclusions: The NHANES absorbance and impedance angle measurements are consistent with published literature. These results demonstrate that trained professionals, using the Titan instrument in a community setting inclusive of all demographics, produce comparable measurements to those in laboratory settings.