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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of adults who use hearing protection devices around loud sounds — HOSCD‑08 Data

National Status: Baseline only

  
Learn more about our data release schedule

Most Recent Data:
66.8 percent (2015-16) *

National Target:
71.4 percent  *

Desired Direction:
Increase desired

National Baseline:
66.8 percent of adults aged 20 to 69 years used hearing protection devices (i.e., earplugs, noise muffs (earmuffs), ear canal caps, or helmets) when exposed to loud sounds or music in 2015-16 *

* Age adjusted to the year 2000 standard population.

Disparities data are only available for some selections.

View CI in the chart by hovering over a data point.

View SE in the chart by hovering over a data point.

Confidence Interval (CI) not available Standard Error (SE) not available Confidence Interval (CI) and Standard Error (SE) are not available

Display data for:

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Total
66.8
CI 63.1 / 70.3
SE 1.682

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Sex, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Male
71.4
CI 67.8 / 74.9
SE 1.671
Female
58.7
CI 53.1 / 64.2
SE 2.554

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Race/Ethnicity, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
American Indian or Alaska Native only
DSU
Asian only
DSU
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only
DSU
Black or African American only
DNA
White only
DNA
2 or more races
DSU
Hispanic or Latino
57.9
CI 51.9 / 63.8
SE 2.853
Mexican American
54.9
CI 45.3 / 64.3
SE 4.308
Not Hispanic or Latino
DNA
American Indian or Alaska Native only, not Hispanic or Latino
DSU
Asian only, not Hispanic or Latino
59.8
CI 52.0 / 67.2
SE 3.369
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only, not Hispanic or Latino
DSU
Black or African American only, not Hispanic or Latino
58.4
CI 51.3 / 65.2
SE 3.112
White only, not Hispanic or Latino
70.0
CI 66.2 / 73.6
SE 1.715
2 or more races, not Hispanic or Latino
DSU

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Age group, 2015-16 † ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
20-44 years
70.2
CI 65.0 / 75.1
SE 2.312
20-24 years
67.7
CI 58.6 / 75.8
SE 3.916
25-44 years
70.9
CI 65.7 / 75.7
SE 2.285
45-69 years
60.8
CI 57.7 / 63.8
SE 1.405
45-54 years
66.1
CI 59.6 / 72.2
SE 2.869
55-69 years
56.6
CI 51.6 / 61.6
SE 2.286

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Educational attainment (25 years and over), 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Less than High school
46.3
CI 37.2 / 55.7
SE 4.387
High school (including GED or equivalent)
63.8
CI 57.6 / 69.8
SE 2.887
Some college or Associate degree
71.3
CI 66.0 / 76.3
SE 2.395
4-year college degree or more
70.6
CI 66.6 / 74.4
SE 1.603

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Family income (percent poverty guidelines), 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
<100
49.0
CI 41.5 / 56.5
SE 3.557
100-199
63.2
CI 55.5 / 70.4
SE 3.502
200-399
66.7
CI 60.4 / 72.6
SE 2.801
400+
74.9
CI 71.2 / 78.3
SE 1.377

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Health insurance status (20-64 years), 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Insured
70.6
CI 67.6 / 73.5
SE 1.370
Private
73.2
CI 70.4 / 75.8
SE 1.228
Public
60.0
CI 52.9 / 66.9
SE 3.428
Uninsured
53.1
CI 46.0 / 60.2
SE 3.297

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Geographic location, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Geographic location
DNC

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Marital status, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Married/​Cohabiting partner
68.0
CI 64.5 / 71.3
SE 1.593
Divorced, separated, widowed
64.1
CI 55.1 / 72.4
SE 5.444
Never married
64.3
CI 56.5 / 71.6
SE 4.247

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Country of birth, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
US
68.9
CI 65.2 / 72.5
SE 1.689
Outside US
51.6
CI 45.1 / 58.1
SE 3.041

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Veteran status, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Veteran
90.7
CI 84.5 / 95.0
SE 2.083
Non-veteran
63.8
CI 59.7 / 67.8
SE 1.867

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Activity limitation, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
With activity limitations
62.4
CI 53.7 / 70.6
SE 4.522
Without activity limitations
67.6
CI 64.0 / 71.1
SE 1.646

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Sexual orientation, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Sexual orientation
DSU

Adult use of ear protection devices when exposed to loud noises by Gender identity, 2015-16 * ◊
(percent)
Increase desired

Population 2015-16
Gender identity
DNC

Disparity