Childhood Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Divorce in a Large Norwegian Cohort: Results from the HUNT Study. Issue 4 (19th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Idstad, Mariann; Rognmo, Kamilla; Engdahl, Bo Lars
• Is Part Of: Journal of divorce & remarriage. Volume 62:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 247
• Page End: 257
• Publication Date: 2021-05-19
• Subjects: Sensorineural hearing loss -- divorce -- cohort -- HUNT; Divorce -- Law and legislation -- United States -- Periodicals; Divorce -- Periodicals; Remarriage -- Periodicals; 306.89
• DOI: 10.1080/10502556.2021.1871834
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-2556

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between childhood sensorineural hearing loss (CSNHL) and divorce in a large, Norwegian cohort. Data from the School Hearing Investigation in Nord-Trøndelag (SHINT), Norway, are combined with registry data on marital status from Statistics Norway and matched controls from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). The sample includes a total of 50, 022 individuals, of which 756 persons were classified with CSNHL (216 with moderate-severe, 294 with mild, and 246 with slight CSNHL). The results from the cox regression analyses showed that people in the group with any CSNHL as well as people with moderate-severe CSNHL had a significantly higher risk of getting divorced compared to the reference group (HR = 1.21, p = .024, 95% CI = 1.03–1.42; HR = 1.33, p = .052, 95% CI = 1.00–1.76, respectively) after controlling for age at first marriage, sex and education. This suggests that CSNHL in one or both partners in a couple could be a potential threat to the marriage.