RISK FACTORS FOR HEARING LOSS IN ADULTS PATIENTS AGED 18 YEARS AND MORE IN MOSUL CITY A CASE CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

Hearing loss is a common public health problem worldwide with a multifactorial etiology involving modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, and identifying these determinants is crucial for prevention and early intervention; this case-control study aimed to assess the risk factors associated with sensorineural hearing loss among adults aged 18 years and more in Mosul City and included 300 participants (150 cases and 150 controls) recruited from the ENT consultation clinics of Al-Jumhori and Al-Salam Teaching Hospitals over six months starting from February 2025, with data collected through a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic, behavioral, medical, and occupational risk factors and analyzed using SPSS version 26 with odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests. Age of 50 years and above, rural residence, illiteracy, low and middle socioeconomic status, outdoor/transportation and industrial/military occupations, current and passive smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, use of anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic medications, history of head and/or ear injury, and occupational noise exposure—particularly exposure exceeding 8 hours daily or 10 years cumulatively—were all significantly associated with an increased risk of hearing loss (p < 0.05), while higher education, high socioeconomic status, and healthcare/educational occupations were protective. Among cases, moderate and severe hearing loss were the most common severities (31.3% and 30.7%, respectively), and bilateral involvement predominated (81.3%). These findings indicate that hearing loss in this population is strongly associated with aging, rural residence, low educational and socioeconomic status, hazardous occupational exposure, smoking, chronic metabolic and vascular disease, trauma, and noise exposure and highlight the need for targeted preventive and educational interventions.