Abstract
As part of a cross-sectional prevalence study aimed towards elucidation of the relationship between physical fitness and coronary heart disease, information concerning the hearing ability and hearing disorders was included into postal questionnaires. These were distributed to 5050 male subjects at a median age of 53 years, range 45–65 years, and employed in public and private Copenhagen companies. A random sample of subjects was drawn from the respondents and subjected to audiological examination (N=206). The prevalence of hearing impairment, based on the criterion of an audiometric pure-tone threshold averaged over 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz≥25 dB HL, is 35±5%, which compares fairly well with the number of 44±7% complaining of subjective hearing impairment. Only 16±5% had normal hearing sensitivity, and 38±7% had permanent, noise-induced hearing impairment. The prevalence and characteristics of hearing impairment are compared with a recent English epidemiological investigation using an identical average of pure-tone thresholds as criterion for hearing impairment. Furthermore, the present results are considered in view of different criteria for hearing impairment and their relation to subjective complaints of reduced hearing ability. Based on the anamnesis, the pure-tone audio-metric data and additional tests used for topical diagnostic purposes, the prevalence of various aetiologies of hearing impairment is indicated for the male age group in question.