CHEARS: Conservation of Hearing Study
About the Study
Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United States, affecting over 36 million people. The condition has a considerable impact on communication, quality of life, safety, and medical and social well-being. However, information on common risk factors for acquired hearing loss is limited. Therefore, the effort to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for hearing loss is vital to public health.
Our research study examines the relation between a number of medical, dietary, and other lifestyle factors and hearing loss. Our hope is to identify risk factors that can be modified in order to help prevent or delay the onset and progression of hearing loss in adults.
Study Population
Our work is based on data collected from three major ongoing cohort studies that include over 250,000 participants: the Nurses' Health Study I (NHS I), the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II), and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). For more information regarding these cohorts, please see Background on the Nurses' Health Studies, the Nurses' Health Study website, or the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study website.
Study Tools
The NHS and NHS II biennial questionnaires include questions regarding hearing health. Your responses to these questions provide very useful information that will enable us to examine risk factors for hearing loss.
A Hearing Study Supplemental Questionnaire was also sent to a subset of participants in NHS and NHS II. This supplemental questionnaire will collect more detailed information on a number of topics relevant to hearing health.
In addition, a subset of NHS II participants who have responded to the Hearing Study Supplemental Questionnaire will be invited to participate in the CHEARS Study Audiology Assessment Arm. These participants will undergo baseline and follow-up clinical hearing tests performed by a certified audiologist.
Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United States, affecting over 36 million people. The condition has a considerable impact on communication, quality of life, safety, and medical and social well-being. However, information on common risk factors for acquired hearing loss is limited. Therefore, the effort to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for hearing loss is vital to public health.
Our research study examines the relation between a number of medical, dietary, and other lifestyle factors and hearing loss. Our hope is to identify risk factors that can be modified in order to help prevent or delay the onset and progression of hearing loss in adults.
Study Population
Our work is based on data collected from three major ongoing cohort studies that include over 250,000 participants: the Nurses' Health Study I (NHS I), the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II), and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). For more information regarding these cohorts, please see Background on the Nurses' Health Studies, the Nurses' Health Study website, or the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study website.
Study Tools
The NHS and NHS II biennial questionnaires include questions regarding hearing health. Your responses to these questions provide very useful information that will enable us to examine risk factors for hearing loss.
A Hearing Study Supplemental Questionnaire was also sent to a subset of participants in NHS and NHS II. This supplemental questionnaire will collect more detailed information on a number of topics relevant to hearing health.
In addition, a subset of NHS II participants who have responded to the Hearing Study Supplemental Questionnaire will be invited to participate in the CHEARS Study Audiology Assessment Arm. These participants will undergo baseline and follow-up clinical hearing tests performed by a certified audiologist.
