A worker saying their hearing is good does not settle whether a hearing test would find an abnormal pattern. CDC's report first released February 7, 2017 examined 2011–12 national survey data for U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized adults aged 20–69. Almost one quarter of those reporting excellent or good hearing had an audiometric notch, a pattern in hearing thresholds used as an imperfect indicator of noise-related damage. [mm6605e3][mm6437a8]

Among participants reporting loud noise at work, almost one third had a notch. That association gives workplace prevention a concrete reason for attention, but it cannot identify the workplace as the cause of an individual's result. Exposure was self-reported, and the study noted other factors, including aging and genetic predisposition, that complicate attribution. Its estimates were weighted, not a simple count of every American worker. [mm6605e3][mm6437a8]

The companion CDC publication from September 25, 2015 adds a different concern: reported communication difficulty. In the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, 21.0% of civilian, noninstitutionalized adults aged 18 or older reported difficulty following conversation amid background noise always, usually or about half the time. That is a symptom measure with a different age range, not confirmation of the notch prevalence. [mm6605e3][mm6437a8]

Our worker-focused reading is to avoid making self-recognition carry the whole burden of prevention. Neither reassuring self-ratings nor complaints alone explain exposure and its effects. These connected CDC publications do not measure the success of a workplace program or create a new legal duty. They show why an account of workplace conditions and an account of workers' perceived hearing answer different questions. [mm6605e3][mm6437a8]

Source documents

  1. Vital Signs: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Adults — United States 2011–2012https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6605e3.htm
  2. QuickStats: Percentage of Adults with Selected Hearing Problems, by Type of Problem and Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2014https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6437a8.htm