NCHS-CDC NHIS Hearing and Balance Supplement

National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed questions on hearing and balance disorders were asked about children and adults in the 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Hearing Supplement, the 2016 and 2023 NHIS Balance and Dizziness Supplements. To maintain validity for cross-survey comparisons, wording has been standardized for hearing and balance questions asked during home interviews, prior to physical exams in mobile exam centers, in NHANES 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-25. Advantages to obtaining the epidemiological information from the NHIS include the large sample size (~13,000 children, ~35,000 adults) in a single year of data collection and the relatively quick availability of the data collected as Public Use files — approximately 6 months after data collection ends for NHIS each year. For timely analysis and release of information to the public and, also, to inform scientific research, NHIS is an appropriate nationally representative health survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized US population. These advantages are important as well for tracking and monitoring US Healthy People objectives.