Mean and median hearing thresholds among children 6 to 19 years of age: the Third National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 to 1994, United States.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to provide the first national representative values for mean and median hearing thresholds among US children 6 to 19 yrs of age.


METHODS
Hearing thresholds were obtained from 6166 children in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988 to 1994), a national, population-based cross-sectional survey with household interview and audiometric testing at 0.5 to 8 kHz. Means, medians, and standard errors of the mean were obtained and reported by ear, frequency, sex, and age.


RESULTS
The mean and median thresholds ranged from 3.0 to 11.8 dB HL and -1.0 to 10.8 dB HL, respectively. The highest (poorest) thresholds were obtained at test frequencies above 4000 Hz. Similar mean and median thresholds were found between boys and girls at all frequencies.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that the mean thresholds fall below the standard screening guidelines recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (< or =20 dB HL for the frequencies from 1000< or =20 dB HL for the frequencies from 2000, and 4000 Hz). The results of this study suggest the need to include the test frequency of 6000 Hz in screening protocols for children.
Holmes
Alice E
AE
Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Florida Health Science Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Niskar
Amanda Sue
AS
Kieszak
Stephanie M
SM
Rubin
Carol
C
Brody
Debra J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016235:American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States