Use of Hearing Aids by Adults with Hearing Loss

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• National Institutes of Health

Use of Hearing Aids by Adults with Hearing Loss

[text version]
Note: Higher numbers are better.
This chart displays time trends in the use of hearing aids for adults (20–69 years) and older adults (70+ years), based on data collected for tracking by Healthy People 2010 [Hearing Health Trends]. Data are for adults aged 20+ years with hearing impairments who have ever used a hearing aid. For adults 20-69 years old, data are age-adjusted to the 2000 standard population. The 2010 target lines represent the goals recommended by the Hearing Health group, which were discussed and approved by the Federal Interagency Working Group for Healthy People 2010.
Number of persons with hearing loss is calculated based on NHANES hearing exam estimates of the number of people with a pure-tone average (PTA) of thresholds at frequencies of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz greater than or equal to 35 decibels (dB) hearing level (HL) in either one or both ears.
Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and National Health Interview Survey, NCHS, CDC. Chart created by the Health Promotion Statistics Branch, NCHS, CDC and the Epidemiology and Statistics Program, NIDCD, NIH. Posted in November 2012.