Hearing loss in the working-age population: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease study 2021

The working-age population (WAP) refers to individuals aged 15-64, who are the main drivers of production. Among the various factors affecting their productivity, hearing loss plays a significant role. However, epidemiological data on hearing loss in the WAP remain limited. The study analyses the global, regional and national situation of hearing loss in the WAP and predicts the disease burden up to 2040.

This study was based on data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, covering 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021.

The study population included all individuals aged 15-64 years, consistent with the United Nations definition of the WAP and adopted in the GBD 2021 study.

Data on the prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to hearing loss among the WAP were extracted from the GBD database. The disease burden was represented using both absolute numbers and age-standardised rates (ASRs). Trends were analysed with the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Subgroup analyses on sociodemographic index (SDI), gender, disease severity and causes were performed, and projections for 2040 were estimated using the Nordpred model.

Globally, from 1990 to 2021, the number of hearing loss cases in the WAP increased from 558.08 million to 1.04 billion, and the number of YLDs rose from 14.45 million to 26.55 million. In 2021, the prevalence in the WAP was 19 607.24 per 100 000, with YLDs at 501.81 per 100 000. The EAPC shows an upward trend: the change in age-standardised prevalence is 0.11 (95% uncertainty interval (UI 0.10, 0.12), and the change in age-standardised YLDs is 0.10 (95% UI 0.08, 0.11). High SDI regions have the lowest burden of hearing loss globally. At the regional level, as SDI increases, the age-standardised prevalence and YLDs of hearing loss show a downward trend. In contrast, the burden is higher in Oceania, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. The top three countries in terms of prevalence and YLDs are Madagascar, Malawi and Kenya. By 2040, the global prevalence and YLDs of hearing loss in the WAP are projected to be 1.31 billion and 33.30 million, respectively, with ASRs of 19 890.33 and 512.27 per 100 000 population.

The burden of hearing loss in the WAP is gradually increasing, with differences in prevalence and YLDs across regions, countries and SDI levels. Continued attention is needed for this vulnerable group's hearing loss, along with the implementation of effective measures to reduce future burdens.