Prevalence and Risk Factors of Functional Hearing Loss in Chinese Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

This study investigated the prevalence of functional hearing loss (FHL) in Chinese adults and analyzed the associated risk factors.

In this cross-sectional study, 192 middle-aged and elderly people who underwent audiological examinations at Changsha Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January to August 2024 were included. Eighty-two patients with FHL were included in the FHL group, and 112 subjects without FHL were included in the normal group. The demographic data, medical history, living habits, noise level of the living environment, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were compared between the two groups, and factors with significant differences were selected as independent variables for multivariate logistic regression. Then, a risk prediction model for FHL was established according to independent risk factors, and the efficacy of this prediction model was verified by the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, hypertension, noisy living environment, and MMSE score were independent risk factors that affected the prevalence of FHL (P < 0.05). The established risk prediction model for FHL had an area under the curve of 0.830 (cutoff value: 0.362, sensitivity: 84.15%, specificity: 72.32%).

Old age, hypertension, noisy living environment, and cognitive impairment are risk factors for FHL. In future clinical practice, the prevalence of FHL can be prevented by intervening and preventing the above risk factors.