Round 2 Topic: Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices
Rapid Surveys from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collect timely, relevant data on topics of public health importance. Surveys are conducted several times a year using probability-based commercial online panels. Each survey includes a unique set of questions about different public health topics. Data collection for Round 2 occurred during October—November 2023.
This page includes estimates in table format. Estimates for fit testing of hearing protection devices includes indicators such as the percentage of adults ages 18 and older who ever used hearing protectors at work, knew that hearing protectors could be fit-tested, and had hearing protectors fit-tested.
| Know that hearing protectors can be fit-tested to ensure proper noise reduction | Ever used hearing protectors when exposed to loud noises at work1 | Have had hearing protectors fit tested2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Percent (95% confidence interval) | ||
| Total | 37.4 (36.0–38.8) | 41.3 (39.6–42.9) | 25.1 (22.1–28.3) |
| Age group | |||
| 18–44 | 36.7 (34.4–39.0) | 38.7 (36.0–41.5) | 28.2 (22.7–34.2) |
| 45–64 | 41.1 (38.7–43.5) | 44.0 (41.3–46.8) | 24.4 (20.1–29.1) |
| 65 and older | 34.0 (31.6–36.5) | 42.6 (39.7–45.6) | 20.1 (15.2–25.8) |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 29.3 (27.5–31.1) | 23.5 (21.5–25.6) | 22.9 (17.2–29.5) |
| Male | 45.9 (43.8–48.0) | 56.3 (54.0–58.6) | 25.7 (22.3–29.3) |
| Race and Hispanic origin | |||
| Hispanic | 37.0 (33.2–40.9) | 39.8 (35.5–44.2) | 29.3 (20.8–39.0) |
| Black or African American, non-Hispanic | 31.5 (27.5–35.7) | 28.6 (24.3–33.4) | 31.2 (20.6–43.4) |
| White, non-Hispanic | 39.1 (37.5–40.7) | 45.6 (43.6–47.6) | 23.0 (19.5–26.9) |
| Other single or multiple races, non-Hispanic | 34.9 (29.7–40.3) | 32.1 (26.3–38.3) | 24.9 (13.5–39.4) |
| Education | |||
| High school degree or GED or less | 34.3 (31.8–36.9) | 38.8 (35.9–41.7) | 28.1 (21.9–34.9) |
| Some college | 39.2 (36.7–41.8) | 45.4 (42.4–48.3) | 25.3 (20.5–30.5) |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 39.3 (37.1–41.5) | 40.8 (38.3–43.4) | 21.6 (17.3–26.3) |
| Household income as a percentage of the federal poverty level | |||
| Less than 100% FPL | 32.7 (28.5–37.0) | 31.8 (27.4–36.6) | 23.1 (13.8–34.8) |
| 100% to less than 200% FPL | 32.6 (29.1–36.2) | 38.9 (34.7–43.2) | 30.5 (21.6–40.5) |
| 200% and greater FPL | 39.5 (37.9–41.1) | 43.8 (41.8–45.7) | 24.4 (21.0–28.0) |
| Region | |||
| Northeast | 34.3 (31.1–37.6) | 34.1 (30.2–38.3) | 22.3 (15.9–29.8) |
| Midwest | 39.3 (36.5–42.2) | 48.3 (44.8–51.7) | 25.5 (19.5–32.3) |
| South | 37.6 (35.3–40.1) | 39.8 (37.0–42.6) | 24.5 (19.8–29.7) |
| West | 37.7 (34.8–40.6) | 43.1 (39.7–46.5) | 27.1 (20.6–34.4) |
| Urbanicity | |||
| Large central metro | 34.7 (32.2–37.2) | 33.3 (30.4–36.3) | 24.1 (17.8–31.3) |
| Large fringe metro | 37.9 (35.1–40.8) | 38.9 (35.6–42.3) | 22.1 (16.1–29.1) |
| Medium and small metro | 38.3 (35.8–40.7) | 44.4 (41.4–47.4) | 27.1 (21.6–33.2) |
| Nonmetropolitan | 40.1 (36.4–43.8) | 54.7 (50.2–59.0) | 25.6 (19.4–32.7) |
1Does not include those who reported never worked around loud noises.
2Among those who ever use hearing protectors at work and who knew they could get fit-tested.
NOTES: GED = general educational development certificate. FPL = federal poverty level. Percentages may not add to totals due to rounding. All estimates shown meet the NCHS standards of reliability. See technical notes for more details.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, Rapid Surveys System, Round 2, October–November, 2023.
| Ever use hearing protectors at work | Don’t ever use hearing protectors at work | |
|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Percent (95% confidence interval) | |
| Total | 57.0 (54.4–59.7) | 26.7 (24.7–28.7) |
| Age group | ||
| 18–44 | 56.3 (51.5–61.0) | 26.3 (23.2–29.6) |
| 45–64 | 60.5 (56.4–64.5) | 29.8 (26.5–33.3) |
| 65 and older | 53.5 (48.8–58.2) | 23.3 (20.2–26.7) |
| Gender | ||
| Female | 46.3 (41.3–51.4) | 24.2 (21.8–26.7) |
| Male | 60.8 (57.7–63.8) | 30.3 (27.0–33.7) |
| Race and Hispanic origin | ||
| Hispanic | 54.3 (46.8–61.7) | 26.0 (21.3–31.2) |
| Black or African American, non-Hispanic | 57.5 (48.3–66.3) | 24.2 (19.1–29.9) |
| White, non-Hispanic | 57.6 (54.6–60.6) | 27.7 (25.3–30.2) |
| Other single or multiple races, non-Hispanic | 56.2 (44.7–67.3) | 26.2 (19.2–34.3) |
| Education | ||
| High school degree or GED or less | 54.3 (49.3–59.2) | 25.2 (21.9–28.7) |
| Some college | 60.9 (56.4–65.3) | 26.1 (22.7–29.8) |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 56.5 (52.3–60.6) | 29.0 (25.7–32.5) |
| Household income as a percentage of the federal poverty level | ||
| Less than 100% FPL | 56.4 (47.9–64.7) | 23.7 (18.4–29.6) |
| 100% to less than 200% FPL | 46.0 (39.0–53.1) | 25.7 (21.0–30.9) |
| 200% and greater FPL | 59.7 (56.8–62.6) | 27.6 (25.4–30.0) |
| Region | ||
| Northeast | 52.0 (43.4–60.5) | 25.9 (21.5–30.6) |
| Midwest | 59.0 (54.1–63.8) | 23.4 (19.5–27.6) |
| South | 59.1 (54.8–63.3) | 27.3 (24.1–30.7) |
| West | 55.2 (49.9–60.3) | 28.8 (24.7–33.2) |
| Urbanicity | ||
| Large central metro | 52.7 (47.3–58.0) | 26.9 (23.4–30.7) |
| Large fringe metro | 58.8 (53.1–64.4) | 28.0 (24.0–32.2) |
| Medium and small metro | 57.2 (52.7–61.7) | 27.2 (23.7–30.9) |
| Nonmetropolitan | 59.6 (53.7–65.4) | 21.6 (16.8–27.1) |
NOTES: GED = general educational development certificate. FPL = federal poverty level. The question asking about whether adults ever use hearing protectors at work allowed for respondents to answer that they aren’t exposed to loud noises at work. Estimates are not shown for this category. All estimates shown meet the NCHS standards of reliability. See technical notes for more details.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, Rapid Surveys System, Round 2, October–November, 2023.
Explore Rapid Surveys System estimates by health topic.
See the technical notes [PDF – 68 KB] for more information on these measures.
Data collected under the Rapid Surveys System are intended to complement and not replace the current household survey systems at NCHS, including the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The Rapid Surveys approach has a greater potential for coverage and nonresponse bias and smaller sample sizes, thus resulting in lower precision (especially for subgroups). The Rapid Surveys System is particularly well suited for time-sensitive data needs, measuring public health attitudes, developmental work to improve concept measurement, and methodological studies.
Rapid Surveys System data are cross-sectional data based on commercial probability-sampled online survey panels that are supplemented, if necessary, with alternative modes to improve representativeness. Data were collected from 7,046 adult participants this cycle using two panels – AmeriSpeak (conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago) and KnowledgePanel (conducted by Ipsos). Estimates shown in this dashboard are based on data collected in Round 2 of Rapid Surveys, occurring during October—November 2023. All estimates shown meet the NCHS Data Presentation Standards for Proportions. Data on fit testing of hearing protection devices were collected on behalf of CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Access the Round 2 Survey questionnaire [PDF – 37 KB]
NCHS Rapid Surveys Systems. Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices. National Center for Health Statistics. Available from: www.cdc.gov/nchs/rss/round2/fit-testing-hpd.html.