The Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Provision With Hearing Aids in the Gutenberg Health Study

Hearing is a basic ability that is needed for participation in daily life. Hearing loss often greatly reduces a person's quality of life. Nevertheless, epidemiological data on the prevalence of hearing disorders in Germany are sparse. This study investigated the prevalence of hearing disorders and the actual provision with hearing aids.

The Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) is a representative cohort study carried out at the Department of Medicine of Mainz University to investigate the health of the population of the city of Mainz and the neighboring Mainz‒Bingen district. The GHS participants underwent pure-tone audiometry of each ear independently.

Tone audiometry data from a total of 5024 participants were evaluated. The prevalence of hearing loss-regardless of severity-in at least one ear was 40.6% in this study population. The hearing loss was mild in 22.5% of the participants, moderate in 8.3%. Some 2.8% had severe hearing loss. In this group, the women had better hearing than the men (by a mean 4.3 dB). The prevalence of hearing disorders rose with increasing age. The minimum tone audiometry conditions for bilateral hearing aid provision-as defined in the relevant German guideline-were met in 47.7% of the participants. Only 7.7% of the participants already had hearing aids for both ears. The discrepancy between the prevalence of hearing loss and the indication for provision with hearing aids arises from differences in how hearing loss was ascertained and the indications set.

The prevalence of hearing loss was high, at 40.6%. Regular hearing tests should be recommended for the general German population, starting at no later than 60 years of age.