Resources
Hearing facts & resources
Key facts about hearing health, our documents, and the most relevant hearing resources to learn more.
Key facts
1/4
A quarter of adults in Nunavik have hearing loss in both ears.
Hearing tests found 24.8% of adults affected, and more than half of those aged 45 and over.
50–70%
50 to 70% of Inuit children in Nunavik have chronic ear infections by age 2.
Ear infections (otitis media) are the main cause of hearing loss among children in Nunavik.
Source: Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services
19%
19% of children failed their hearing screening at age 5 or 6.
Most of these hearing losses were caused by ear infections. Because hearing can change over time, screening and retesting remain necessary.
Source: Ayukawa et al., International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 2004
3×
Men are three times more likely than women to have hearing loss in both ears.
36% of men compared with 12% of women. Frequent hunters showed more hearing damage, which may be linked to firearm noise.
7.6%
Nunavik has one of the highest rates of hearing disability in the world.
In 2004, 7.6% of adults had a hearing disability as defined by the World Health Organization.
+71%
Hearing loss is linked to a 71% higher risk of dementia.
In the same study, people who used hearing aids had a lower risk.