China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Institute of Population Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
PLoS One. 2018 Mar 29;13(3):e0195227. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195227. eCollection 2018.
Hearing loss is the most common sensory impairment, but limited studies focused on the association of socioeconomic status (SES) with hearing loss among adults of working age. This paper aimed to fill this gap among Chinese adults. We obtained data from Ear and Hearing Disorder Survey conducted in four provinces of China in 2014-2015. The survey was based on WHO Ear and Hearing Disorders Survey Protocol and 25,860 adults aged 25 to 59 years were selected in this study. Trained local examiners performed pure tone audiometry to screen people with hearing loss, and those who were screened positively for hearing loss were referred to audiologists to make final diagnosis. SES was measured by occupation, education and income. Results show after adjusting for SES measures and covariates, in urban areas, compared with white-collar workers, blue-collar workers and the unemployed were more likely to have hearing loss, with an odds ratio of 1.2 (95%CI: 1.0, 1.3) and 1.2 (95%CI: 1.0, 1.4), respectively. Compared with people with education of senior high school or above, those with junior high school, primary school and illiteracy had 1.6 (95%CI: 1.4, 1.8), 2.1(95%CI: 1.7, 2.5) and 2.6 (95%CI: 1.9, 3.7) times as likely to have hearing loss, respectively. In rural areas, the unemployed had 1.5 (95%CI: 1.0, 2.3) times the risk of hearing loss compared with white-collar workers, and illiterates had 1.6 (95%CI: 1.6, 2.1) times the risk of hearing loss compared with people with education of senior high school or above, after SES variables and covariates were taken into considerations. Income was not significantly associated with hearing loss in urban and rural areas. In conclusion, SES, in the form of occupation and education, was associated with hearing loss among working-aged population, and further studies are needed to explore the mechanism of such association.
听力损失是最常见的感觉障碍，但有限的研究集中在社会经济地位（SES）与工作年龄成年人听力损失之间的关系。本文旨在填补中国成年人这方面的空白。我们从 2014-2015 年在中国四个省份进行的耳与听力障碍调查中获取数据。该调查基于世界卫生组织耳与听力障碍调查方案，本研究共选取了 25860 名 25 至 59 岁的成年人。经过培训的当地检查人员进行纯音测听，以筛查听力损失人群，对筛查出听力损失阳性的人群，转介给听力学家进行最终诊断。SES 通过职业、教育和收入来衡量。结果表明，在校正 SES 措施和协变量后，与白领相比，在城市地区，蓝领工人和失业人员更有可能患有听力损失，其优势比分别为 1.2（95%CI：1.0，1.3）和 1.2（95%CI：1.0，1.4）。与高中及以上学历者相比，初中、小学和文盲者听力损失的风险分别增加了 1.6（95%CI：1.4，1.8）、2.1（95%CI：1.7，2.5）和 2.6（95%CI：1.9，3.7）倍。在农村地区，与白领相比，失业者听力损失的风险增加了 1.5（95%CI：1.0，2.3）倍，与高中及以上学历者相比，文盲者听力损失的风险增加了 1.6（95%CI：1.6，2.1）倍，在校正 SES 变量和协变量后。收入与城乡地区听力损失无显著相关性。总之，以职业和教育形式存在的 SES 与工作年龄人群的听力损失有关，需要进一步研究来探讨这种关联的机制。
