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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hearing impairment

Loud and Clear: Improving Access to Hearing Care in Rural America
Discusses barriers to rural hearing care access and the importance of hearing conservation. Features a hearing clinic in South Dakota, a telehealth program in Alaska, and a nationally available agriculture safety program working to address rural hearing care.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Prevalence of Bilateral Hearing Loss in the United States in 2019: A Small Area Estimation Modelling Approach for Obtaining National, State, and County Level Estimates by Demographic Subgroup
Estimates rates and totals of mild, moderate, and severe bilateral hearing loss by age group, gender, race and ethnicity, state, and county. Utilizes data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, American Community Survey, Census County Business Patterns, and Social Security Administration, among others. Includes discussion of rural-urban hearing loss disparities, and identifies county characteristics associated with higher hearing loss prevalence.
Author(s): David B. Rein, Carolina Franco, Nicholas S. Reed, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 100670
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Prevalence of Childhood Hearing Loss in Rural Alaska
Highlights a study on infection-related hearing loss among rural Alaska Native children. Explores the frequency and risk factors for infection-related hearing loss and discusses prevention measures.
Author(s): Susan D. Emmett, Alyssa Platt, Joseph J. Gallo, et al.
Citation: Ear and Hearing, 44(5), 1240-1250
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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County-Level Geographic Disparities in Disabilities Among US Adults, 2018
Provides county-level estimates of 6 types of disability including hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, and independent living. Utilizes geocoded 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, Census 2018 county-level population estimates, and American Community Survey 2014-2018 poverty estimates to provide U.S. county-level maps showing percentage of disability and cluster patterns.
Author(s): Hua Lu, Yan Wang, Yong Liu, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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Safe Listening at Venues and Events with Amplified Music — United States, 2022
Reports on adult agreement with potential event and venue noise level reduction actions to protect hearing. Includes data by metropolitan and nonmetro residence.
Author(s): John Eichwald, Christa L. Themann, Franco Scinicariello
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(13), 338-341
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Environmental Factors for Hearing Loss and Middle Ear Disease in Alaska Native Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Cluster Randomized Trial
Study examining infection-related hearing loss in Alaska Native children in relation to environmental factors, including exposure to cigarette smoke, wood smoke, and access to running water. Analyzes data from 1,634 children who participated in school hearing screenings between 2017 and 2019.
Author(s): Kelli Hicks, Samantha Kleindienst, Alyssa Platt, et al.
Citation: Ear and Hearing, 44(1), 2-9
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Mobile Health School Screening and Telemedicine Referral to Improve Access to Specialty Care in Rural Alaska: A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial
Study examining school-based telemedicine specialty referral for hearing loss in 15 rural Alaskan communities. Compares outcomes for participants who received a telemedicine specialty referral and who received a standard primary care referral, including time to follow-up, prevalence of hearing loss, hearing-related quality of life, and school performance.
Author(s): Susan D. Emmett, Alyssa Platt, Elizabeth L. Turner, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Global Health, 10(7), e1023-e1033
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
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Healthcare Accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A Descriptive Study of Rural Health Care Systems
Reports on survey results from 18 hospitals associated with rural healthcare systems regarding accessibility tools for deaf or hard of hearing patients. Presents information on tools for communication, perspectives on available tools, and types of available education for healthcare workers caring for deaf and hard of hearing patients.
Author(s): Amanda Reinhart
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network
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QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Percentage of Adults Aged ≥65 Years Who Have a Lot of Difficulty Hearing or Cannot Hear at All Even When Using Hearing Aids, by Urbanization Level — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019
Bar chart showing percentage of adults 65 years of age or older reporting hearing impairment, with breakdowns by large central metro, large fringe metro, medium and small metro, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(33), 1127
Date: 08/2021
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Survey of Teen Noise Exposure and Efforts to Protect Hearing at School — United States, 2020
Examines noise exposure among youth 12-17 years of age in a school setting. Reports on frequency of exposure, provision of hearing protection devices, and whether prevention techniques were part of the curriculum. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): John Eichwald, Franco Scinicariello
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(48), 1822-1826
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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