title: [Epidemiologic study on hearing impairment and ear diseases in old people].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of hearing impairment and ear diseases in old people and provide scientific data for drawing up the prevention and treatment strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the probability proportion to size (PPS) method, 1261 people over 60 years were investigated in 40 clusters in Jiangsu Province with the WHO protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of hearing impairment was 58.1% (the standardized rate: 59.5% in the whole country, 60.9% in Jiangsu province). Degrees of hearing impairment were mild (33.1%), moderate (17.8%), severe (5.9%) and profound (1.3%). The prevalence of hearing disability was 25.0% (the standardized rate: 26.6% in the whole country, 28.1% in Jiangsu province). There were significant difference of the prevalence between male and female, as well as urban and rural, and different ages. The prevalence of the ear diseases was auricle malformation (0.2%), wax (1.7%), otitis externa (0.1%), fungi (0.5%), serous otitis media (1.2%), chronic suppurative otitis media (1.6%), dry perforation of tympanic membrance (2.3%). The causes of hearing impairment were ear diseases (2.9%), non-infectious condition (92.6%), genetic condition (0.3%) and undetermined causes (4.2%). Of which, 31.1% of persons needed hearing aids while 2.3% of persons needed medicine treatment, but 0.9% of persons needed non-urgent surgery and 1.0% of persons needed other treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of hearing impairment and disability in the old rised obviously than the last investigation in 1987. It was a heavy burden for social development in China. The government and the whole society should take more concern about the problem. The scientific strategies of prevention and treatment were urgently needed and implemented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xing-Kuan
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Guang-qian
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Deng-yuan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hui-qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Xiao-lu
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xiao-nian
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Fang-li
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang-qiang
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence