Objectives. We evaluated changes in income levels in a hearing-impaired population.Methods. The study subjects were selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort data from 2002 to 2015 of Koreans ≥40 years old. In total, 5,857 hearing-impaired subjects were matched with 23,428 comparison participants. Differences between the initial income level and income levels at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years post-enrollment were compared between the hearing-impaired and comparison groups. The interaction of time and hearing impairment/comparison was estimated.Results. Both the hearing-impaired group and the comparison group showed increased income levels over time. In the hearing-impaired group, the income levels at 4 and 5 years post-enrollment were higher than the initial income level (each P<0.001). In the comparison group, the income levels of all the participants after 1–5 years were higher than the initial income level (each P<0.001). The interaction of time and hearing impairment was statistically significant (P=0.021).Conclusion. The increase in income over time was relatively lower in the hearing-impaired adult population; therefore, the income gap widened between this population and the normal-hearing population.

Background: Dizziness is one of the most common complaints in medicine and a frequent symptom among older people. Dizziness has a considerable impact on life quality and is associated with high economic costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dizziness in the general population and to describe its clinical characteristics and associated factors.Methods: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a cross-sectional survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized population of South Korea. We evaluated data for 12,653 participants (5,450 men and 7,203 women), aged 40 years and above, whom participated in the KNHANES between 2010 and 2012.Results: In the age group over 40 years old, the 1-year prevalence of dizziness was 20.10%. Dizziness was more prevalent among women (25.18%) than among men (14.57%; P < 0.001) and the prevalence rate increased with age (P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, female sex, older age, serum triglyceride level, experience of depression, limited functional status owing to visual acuity impairment, limited physical performance, smoking, alcohol consumption, and perception of stress were independently associated with dizziness.Conclusions: In our study, the prevalence of dizziness in the general population was 20.10%. There was a stronger relationship between dizziness and physical performance, chronic diseases, and health behaviors compared to that with otologic diseases. Interventions for dizziness should be approached in a multifactorial manner and an understanding of various factors is necessary for the prevention and management of this condition.