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Hearing loss and employment: a systematic review of the association between hearing loss and employment among adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2020

A Shan ,
J S Ting ,
C Price ,
A M Goman ,
A Willink ,
N S Reed  and
C L Nieman
A Shan
Affiliation:
Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
J S Ting
Affiliation:
Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
C Price
Affiliation:
Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
A M Goman
Affiliation:
Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
A Willink
Affiliation:
Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Menzies Center for Health Policy, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
N S Reed
Affiliation:
Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
C L Nieman*
Affiliation:
Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Carrie Nieman, Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2024 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD, USA E-mail: cnieman1@jhmi.edu
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Abstract

Background

Hearing loss affects over 1.3 billion individuals worldwide, with the greatest burden among adults. Little is known regarding the association between adult-onset hearing loss and employment.

Methods

Seven databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, ABI/Inform Collection, Business Source Ultimate, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched through to October 2018. The key word terms used related to hearing loss and employment, excluding paediatric or congenital hearing loss and deaf or culturally deaf populations.

Results

The initial search resulted in 13 144 articles. A total of 7494 articles underwent title and abstract screening, and 243 underwent full-text review. Twenty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies were set in 10 predominantly high-income countries. Seven of the 25 studies analysed regionally or nationally representative datasets and controlled for key variables. Six of these seven studies reported associations between hearing loss and employment.

Conclusion

The highest quality studies currently available indicate that adult-onset hearing loss is associated with unemployment. However, considerable heterogeneity exists, and more rigorous studies that include low- and middle-income countries are needed.

Keywords

EmploymentUnemploymentUnderemploymentHearing LossHearing DisordersPresbycusis
Type
Review Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 134 , Issue 5 , May 2020 , pp. 387 - 397
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Dr C Nieman takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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