No abstract

This analysis did not identify significant changes in prevalence of hearing loss in US youth ages 12 to 19 years over this time period despite increases in reported noise exposures. No consistent associations were shown between noise exposure and hearing loss, though there was an association between racial/ethnic minority status and low socioeconomic status and increased risk of hearing loss. Ongoing monitoring of hearing loss in this population is necessary to elucidate long-term trends and identify targets for intervention.

Objective This study aims to describe the effects of primary language and insurance status on care utilization among deaf or hard-of-hearing children under active otolaryngologic and audiologic care. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting Multidisciplinary hearing loss clinic at a tertiary center. Subjects and Methods Demographics, hearing loss data, and validated survey responses were collected from 206 patients aged 0 to 19 years. Two-sided t tests and χ tests were used to obtain descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing. Results Of the sample, 52.4% spoke primarily English at home. Non-English-speaking children and families were less likely to receive psychiatric counseling (12.2% vs 35.2% in the English group, P < .001) and reported more difficulty obtaining educational interventions ( P = .016), and 68.9% had public insurance. Parents of publicly insured children were less likely to know the type or degree of their child's hearing loss (56.9% vs 75.4%, P = .022), and these children were older on presentation to the clinic (8.5 vs 6.5 years of age, P = .01) compared to privately insured children. Publicly insured children were less likely to receive cochlear implants ( P = .046) and reported increased difficulty obtaining hearing aids ( P = .047). While all patients reported impairment in hearing-related quality of life, publicly insured children aged 2 to 7 years were more likely to perform below minimum thresholds on measures of auditory/oral functioning. Conclusion Even when under active care, deaf or hard-of-hearing children from families who do not speak English at home or with public insurance face more difficulty obtaining educational services, cochlear implants, and hearing aids. These findings represent significant disparities in access to necessary interventions.