Direct Costs Attributable to Hearing Loss in China: Based on an Econometric Model

To our knowledge, hearing loss has been proved by a few studies from developed countries to bring a high economic burden of disease, but there is no relevant cost estimate in China. The purpose of our study was to measure the direct costs attributable to hearing loss among middle-aged and older people aged 45 and above in China in 2011, 2013, and 2015.

On the basis of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and the China Statistical Yearbook, an econometric model was used to obtain the hearing-attributable fraction, and then the direct costs attributable to hearing loss of middle-aged and older people aged 45 and above in China in 2011, 2013, and 2015 were calculated.

In 2011, 2013, and 2015, the direct costs attributable to hearing loss of middle-aged and older people aged 45 and above in China were $50.699 billion, $81.783 billion, and $106.777 billion, accounting for 3.43, 4.54, and 5.54% of the overall healthcare costs in the same year, respectively. Among the direct costs attributable to hearing loss, direct outpatient costs accounted for 75.75 to 81.13%, and direct inpatient costs accounted for 18.87 to 24.25%.

The direct costs attributable to hearing loss for Chinese adults aged 45 and above have placed a heavy burden on Chinese society. The government should give priority and take effective measures to the prevention and treatment of hearing loss.