The Apple Hearing Study, a collaboration with the University of Michigan, has presented new findings this week highlighting the importance of Apple’s hearing health features for AirPods.

It is worth noting that the Apple Hearing Study includes over 160,000 participants in the United States, making it one of the largest hearing studies conducted.

Some key points from the new findings are as follows:

  • Of approximately 85,000 participants technically tested within the WHO “normal” hearing range (≤25 dB), 16% rated their hearing as fair or poor.
    • The study adds, “This study further illustrates the difference between measured and perceived hearing ability among individuals classified as having normal hearing, as many participants classified as having normal hearing reported difficulties understanding when listening to someone and with background conversations.”
  • Hearing loss may also be linked to physical health: a separate analysis of 57,183 individuals found that poor hearing is associated with slower walking speed, particularly in adults over 60 years old.

The study emphasizes the following:

The four-frequency pure tone average, which is the hearing metric we assessed, is associated with self-reported hearing ability and difficulties in hearing in daily life among individuals classified as having normal hearing. By using Apple’s Hearing Test Feature to monitor their hearing, individuals have the opportunity to track changes in their hearing over time, even when classified as clinically normal, and take steps to preserve and support their hearing throughout their lives.

Additionally, we found that increasing hearing loss is strongly associated with slower walking speed, an important indicator of mobility and physical health. Addressing and treating hearing loss with strategies like the Hearing Aid Feature may help promote physical health throughout one’s lifetime. Importantly, none of these findings would have been possible without the assistance of participants in the Apple Hearing Study.

For more information about this hearing health study, you can visit the University of Michigan website.

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