QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Percentage* of Adults Aged ≥65 Years Who Have a Lot of Difficulty Hearing or Cannot Hear at All Even When Using Hearing Aids,† by Urbanization Level§ — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019¶
Weekly / August 20, 2021 / 70(33);1127
* Age-adjusted percentages are based on the 2000 U.S. Census standard population, using age groups 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years, with 95% confidence intervals indicated by error bars.
† Based on responses to the survey question, “Do you have difficulty hearing, even when using your hearing aid(s)? Would you say no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, or are you unable to do this?”
§ Urbanization level is determined by the Office of Management and Budget’s February 2013 delineation of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), in which each MSA must have at least one urbanized area of ≥50,000 inhabitants. Areas with <50,000 inhabitants are grouped into the nonmetropolitan category.
¶ Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population.
In 2019, 4.2% of U.S. adults aged ≥65 years had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all even when using hearing aids. Percentages were highest in nonmetropolitan areas (6.7%). The differences between percentages in large central (3.2%), large fringe metropolitan (3.2%), and medium and small metropolitan (4.3%) areas were not statistically significant.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm
Reported by: Jennifer Madans, PhD; Nazik Elgaddal, MS; Julie D. Weeks, PhD, jad3@cdc.gov, 301-458-4562.
Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Percentage of Adults Aged ≥65 Years Who Have a Lot of Difficulty Hearing or Cannot Hear at All Even When Using Hearing Aids, by Urbanization Level — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1127. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7033a7external icon.
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