Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.
2025 Jan;68(1):7-18. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2024.00157.
Part 1. Current Status of Hearing Loss Patients in Korea Using National Data: National Health Insurance Service- Database, 2010 to 2020
- Lee J
1,2 - Yoon CY1,2
- Kim J1,2
- Jin IK3
- Suh MJ4
- Cho WH5
- Lee HJ6
- Choi SJ7
- Cha D8,9
- Park KH10
- Oh SH11,12
- Seo YJ1,13
- Kong TH1,2,13
- Affiliations
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- 1Research Institute of Hearing Enhancement, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
- 2Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
- 3Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Research Institute of Audiology and Speech Pathology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
- 4Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea
- 5Division of Physical Metrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards & Science, Daejeon, Korea
- 6Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea
- 7Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
- 8Healthcare Lab, Naver Corporation, Seongnam, Korea
- 9Healthcare Lab, Naver Cloud Corporation, Seongnam, Korea
- 10Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
- 11Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Hallym Univesity of Graduate Studies, Seoul, Korea
- 12Hallym University of Graduate Studies Center for Hearing and Speech Research, Seoul, Korea
- 13Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
- KMID: 2564070
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2024.00157
Abstract
- Background and Objectives
Hearing loss significantly affects communication, psychosocial well-being, and quality of life. This study analyzes the National Health Insurance Service database to assess the trends and characteristics of hearing loss in South Korea from 2010 to 2020.
Subjects and Method
The database encompasses 97% of the Korean population, providing comprehensive data on medical history, prescriptions, and health examinations. The analysis used the World Health Organization’s ICD-10 definitions to categorize hearing loss types and examine their prevalence and incidence across various demographics over 11 years.
Results
There was an overall annual increase of 4.62% in diagnosed cases of hearing loss, with the most significant rise among the elderly. The rate of increase accelerated from 3.32% between 2010 and 2014 to 6.49% between 2014 and 2020, corresponding with the improved hearing aid access facilitated by policy changes. Women showed a slightly higher increase than men. The data also indicated a consistent rise in abnormal hearing test results during health examinations, especially in older adults.
Conclusion
The study highlights an increasing trend in hearing loss diagnoses, driven by an aging population and enhanced detection facilitated by policy changes. These findings emphasize the need for continuous monitoring and targeted health policies to manage hearing loss effectively, offering valuable insights for global health management and policy development.
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