Health Burden and Socioeconomic Disparities From Hearing Loss: A Global Perspective

Objectives/Hypothesis: To characterize the disability-related health burden of hearing loss (HL) at a global level, with a focus on socioeconomic health disparities. Methods: The global burden of HL, as calculated by disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 individuals, was evaluated for 184 countries. Data from 5-year intervals encompassing 1990 to 2015 were organized by human development index (HDI) categorizations as specified by the U.N. Development Program (UNDP). Gini coefficients and concentration indices were used to evaluate global inequality in HL burden over this time period. Results: There was a global lack of improvement in hearing loss burden over 25 years. National HL burden, as measured by age-standardized DALYs, had an inverse relationship with successive level of development (p 

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