More than two in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged seven and over were found to have hearing loss in 2018-2019, a new government report says.
An estimated 290,400 (43%) of First Nations adults and children aged seven and over were assessed as having hearing loss in one (20%) or both ears (23%). This included 29% of First Nations children aged 7–14 (42,200 children) and 40% of those in this age group (10,000) living in remote areas.
However, most (79%) of those with measured hearing loss did not report long-term hearing loss, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Ear and hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2023 report, released in December 2023.
Researchers said ear and hearing health for First Nations people had steadily improved over 10 years to 2021-2022 and that apart from hearing loss caused by genetic conditions and ageing, much of the hearing loss experienced was preventable or amenable to treatment.
Despite this, First Nations people were still 1.4 times more likely to report long-term ear or hearing problems than non-Indigenous Australians, and their children had some of the highest rates of ear disease and associated hearing loss in the world.
“Ear disease and hearing loss in children can have a big impact on their speech, language, thinking skills and social development,” the authors said. “As children grow up, these issues can make it difficult for them to be part of community, culture, and work.”
Findings include:
- About 6,500 First Nations people received Medicare-subsidised audiology services in 2021–2022, and although the rate of 7.3 per 1,000 people had risen, it remained lower than for non-Indigenous people.
- In 2021–2022, 6,970 ear health checks and diagnostic hearing assessments were provided to First Nations children under age six; 21% had a hearing impairment.
- Measured hearing loss is more common in girls aged 7-14 than boys, and in men over 55 than women.
- The rate of ear and hearing related emergency department presentations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders rose 51% over eight years to 2021-2022 while remaining steady for non-Indigenous Australians.
- From 2020-2022, there were 19,500 emergency department presentations of ear or hearing related problems, a rate more than twice that of non-Indigenous Australians. The rate was highest for babies.
- Median waiting times for elective ear-related surgeries and myringotomy rose over ten years to 2021-2022.
- Nine in ten ear related hospitalisations in children under 14 were middle ear disease in 2020–2022 and 3,400 procedures were done.
Earlier detection and treatment
The good news includes:
- Child hearing problems are being detected and treated earlier with the number of toddlers being fitted with hearing devices more than tripling over 14 years; 36% of First Nations people aged 0-25 years in 2022 with a hearing device were aged 0-4 years when first fitted with a hearing aid or cochlear implant compared with only 10% in 2008. The Hearing Australia data on 5,779 clients also showed the peak age group of first device fitting fell from seven-nine years to four-six years.
- In 2021–2022, neonatal hearing screening coverage was 91%-98% for First Nations babies (0.4% were diagnosed with permanent childhood hearing impairments.)
- The proportion of First Nations health-care services that offer audiology and ENT specialist services has risen, and half now have visiting audiologists or audiometrists.
- About 2,640 Australians (including 10 First nations people) reported their occupation as an audiologist in 2021 (10.3 per 100,000, up from 7.8 in 2016.)
Australia’s first Indigenous ENT surgeon, Professor Kelvin Kong AM quoted the report last week when he gave the 25th Libby Harricks Memorial Oration at Parliament House. He emphasised the critical need for action in hearing health, particularly in First Nations communities, evidenced by sobering statistics in the report including that in 2020-2022, nine in 10 hearing related hospitalisations in First Nations children aged 0-14 were for middle ear disease.
Deafness Forum Australia hosted the event which was opened by Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler.
Read the AIHW report and the child summary
More reading
Registry to track care of 12,000 children with hearing loss
Deaf Children Australia calls for more deaf friendly resources and training in schools
MBS items for genetic tests in childhood hearing loss
