Between October 18–21, this website will move to a new web address (from health.gov to odphp.health.gov). During that time, some functions might not work as expected. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we’re working to make this transition as smooth as possible.

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

Reduce the proportion of adults who have hearing loss due to noise exposure — HOSCD‑09 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 97.8 per 1,000 adults aged 20 to 69 years had hearing thresholds in both ears signifying noise-induced hearing loss in 2015-16

Target: 79.0 per 1,000

Numerator
Number of adults aged 20 to 69 years who have an audiometric threshold notch in the high frequencies (3, 4, and 6 kHz).
Denominator
Number of adults aged 20 to 69 years.
Target-setting method
Minimal statistical significance
Target-setting method details
Minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective, but it was not possible to project a target because the projected targets were not a statistically significant improvement from the baseline and the trend was not linear. The standard error was used to calculate a target based on minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)

From the 2015-16 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey:

Numerator:
Measured hearing thresholds at frequencies of 0.5, 1, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz, in each ear, indicating presence of an audiometric threshold notch (see definition for an audiometric threshold notch in Methodological section).

Methodology notes

An audiometric threshold notch is present when one or more of the thresholds at 3, 4, or 6 kHz exceeds the pure-tone average of 0.5 and 1 kHz thresholds by 15 dB or more, and the 8 kHz threshold is at least 5 dB lower (better) than the highest threshold in the 3–6 kHz range.

Age-adjustment notes

This Indicator uses Age-Adjustment Groups:

  • Total: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Sex: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Race/Ethnicity: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Educational Attainment: 25-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Family Income (percent poverty threshold): 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Country of Birth: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Activity limitations: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Health Insurance Status: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69
  • Marital Status: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.