HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.133215v1 99/8/1376    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Helvik, A.-S. Articles by Tambs, K. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Helvik, A.-S. Articles by Tambs, K. Related Collections Epidemiology Occupational Health Prevention Socioeconomic Factors

Anne-Sofie Helvik, PhD, Steinar Krokstad, PhD and Kristian Tambs, PhD

Anne-Sofie Helvik is with the Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Innlandet Hospital Trust, Division Tynset, Norway; and the Ear, Nose and Throat Department, St Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. Steinar Krokstad is with the Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim; HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, NTNU, Verdal, Norway; and Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway. Kristian Tambs is with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Mental Health, Oslo, Norway, and The Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to A.-S. Helvik, ISM, Dmf, NTNU, 7489 Trondheim, Norway (e-mail: anne-sofie.helvik{at}ntnu.no).

We assessed socioeconomic position and hearing loss in a Norwegian population of 17 593 men and women aged 30–54 years in 1984–1986 who were followed for 11 years. We used analysis of variance, logistic regression, and population-attributable fraction analyses to examine associations. Significant socioeconomic inequalities in hearing loss were found among men. Adjusted odds ratios for hearing loss were approximately 1.3 to 1.9 for semi- and unskilled manual workers compared with participants with high occupational class; the population-attributable fraction of the prevalence of hearing loss over the cutpoint in the high-frequency (3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz) range was 35%.