Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990–2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Abstract

Background Hearing loss affects access to spoken language, which can affect cognition and development, and can negatively affect social wellbeing. We present updated estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study on the prevalence of hearing loss in 2019, as well as the condition's associated disability. Methods We did systematic reviews of population-representative surveys on hearing loss prevalence from 1990 to 2019. We fitted nested meta-regression models for severity-specific prevalence, accounting for hearing aid coverage, cause, and the presence of tinnitus. We also forecasted the prevalence of hearing loss until 2050. Findings An estimated 1•57 billion (95% uncertainty interval 1•51-1•64) people globally had hearing loss in 2019, accounting for one in five people (20•3% [19•5-21•1]). Of these, 403•3 million (357•3-449•5) people had hearing loss that was moderate or higher in severity after adjusting for hearing aid use, and 430•4 million (381•7-479•6) without adjustment. The largest number of people with moderate-to-complete hearing loss resided in the Western Pacific region (127•1 million people [112•3-142•6]). Of all people with a hearing impairment, 62•1% (60•2-63•9) were older than 50 years. The Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index explained 65•8% of the variation in national agestandardised rates of years lived with disability, because countries with a low HAQ Index had higher rates of years lived with disability. By 2050, a projected 2•45 billion (2•35-2•56) people will have hearing loss, a 56•1% (47•3-65•2) increase from 2019, despite stable age-standardised prevalence. Interpretation As populations age, the number of people with hearing loss will increase. Interventions such as childhood screening, hearing aids, effective management of otitis media and meningitis, and cochlear implants have the potential to ameliorate this burden. Because the burden of moderate-to-complete hearing loss is concentrated in countries with low health-care quality and access, stronger health-care provision mechanisms are needed to reduce the burden of unaddressed hearing loss in these settings. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and WHO.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Parents towards Childhood Hearing Loss and Pediatric Hearing Services in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

“…Recent data on hearing loss suggest that globally 20% of people have hearing loss. By 2050, it is projected that 2.45 billion people will have some amount of hearing loss [4], including a vast percentage of the pediatric population. In the Middle East, there are limited data available on the true prevalence of pediatric hearing loss.…”

A New Type of Wireless Transmission Based on Digital Direct Modulation for Use in Partially Implantable Hearing Aids

“…= + ( ) 2 (5) where is the inductance, is the inner diameter of the coil, is the diameter of the copper wire, and is the variable that allows coil inductance to be derived. is a constant, and is derived by changing and .…”

“…As shown in the figure, the thickness of the proposed coil is significantly reduced; however, accurate comparison is difficult because only the dimensions of the silicon-coated receiving coil are shown. To verify that miniaturization was feasible, the number of windings in the coil described by Taghavi et al was deduced based on the inductance value (150 uH) [20] using Equations ( 4) and (5). We compared our coil with that described by Taghavi et al based on the deduced results, and the number of windings was shown to differ by about 9-fold (Table 5).…”

“…Due to the aging of the population and frequent use of multimedia devices, the incidence of hearing loss is increasing in various age groups [1][2][3][4]. There is increasing interest in the use of hearing aids to overcome the problems associated with hearing loss, which include difficulties in communication, learning disabilities, and reduced cognitive ability [5]. Although air conduction hearing aids are widely used for hearing compensation, they have a number of drawbacks, such as occlusion effects, howling noise, and pain [6].…”

Effectiveness of a programable body-worn digital hearing aid for older adults in a developing country: a randomized controlled trial with a cross-over design

“…Of all people with hearing impairment, 62.1% were older than 50 years. With an ageing society, the number of people with hearing loss will increase to an estimate of 2.45 billion people by 2050 [ 1 ]. Furthermore, the prevalence of hearing impairment is higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries [ 2 ].…”