文章基本信息

标题：Socioeconomic Inequalities in Hearing Loss in a Healthy Population Sample: The HUNT Study
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作者：Anne-Sofie Helvik ; Steinar Krokstad ; Kristian Tambs 等
期刊名称：American journal of public health
印刷版ISSN：0090-0036
出版年度：2009
卷号：99
期号：8
页码：1376-1378
DOI：10.2105/AJPH.2007.133215
语种：English
出版社：American Public Health Association
摘要：We assessed socioeconomic position and hearing loss in a Norwegian population of 17 593 men and women aged 30–54 years in 1984–1986 who were followed for 11 years. We used analysis of variance, logistic regression, and population-attributable fraction analyses to examine associations. Significant socioeconomic inequalities in hearing loss were found among men. Adjusted odds ratios for hearing loss were approximately 1.3 to 1.9 for semi- and unskilled manual workers compared with participants with high occupational class; the population-attributable fraction of the prevalence of hearing loss over the cutpoint in the high-frequency (3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz) range was 35%. Hearing impairment in adults is 1 of the most common chronic health problems in the Western world.¹ In Norway, the estimated prevalence of permanent hearing loss in the adult population is approximately 15%,² similar to that in other countries.^{3 – 5} This prevalence is expected to increase to 25% by 2020 along with increased life expectancy.^{3 , 6} A relatively stable occurrence of noise-induced hearing loss despite reduced occupational noise exposure⁷ might be explained by increased exposure to noise during leisure activities.⁸ Additional risk factors for hearing loss are heritage, infection, trauma, toxicity, and disease.⁹ Few reports have documented the relation between hearing loss and socioeconomic position as measured by education level and occupational class.^{4 , 10 – 15} The total-population–based Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) and its Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study component offered a unique opportunity to study the relation between socioeconomic position and hearing loss with a prospective study design.