What are the risk factors for hearing loss and how are they related to socio-economic inequalities? An annotated bibliography of systematic reviews. Final report

In this report, we undertook an annotated bibliography of systematic reviews evaluating potential risk factors for hearing loss, and related these to socio-economic inequalities where these data were reported. Our annotated bibliography drew on a search of five bibliographic databases and a range of additional search methods (e.g. topically relevant websites) to identify systematic reviews of behavioural, demographic, environmental, genetic and physiological risk factors published in English as a full-text record since 2018. We focused on systematic reviews of studies undertaken in World Bank high-income countries. After rigorous selection, we appraised each systematic review and categorised risk factors, including mapping these by socio-economic inequalities using the PROGRESS-Plus criteria. In total, we identified 64 systematic reviews. We deprioritised eight scoping reviews as these did not synthesise studies, and six systematic reviews focusing on genetic risk factors as these are not readily modifiable. We categorised the remaining systematic reviews into four categories of risk factor: behavioural, demographic, environmental and physiological. Systematic reviews could address more than one type of risk factor. We wrote a brief annotation for each of these systematic reviews to summarise their focus and main findings. We also summarised data relating to socio-economic inequalities.