These include:

Presence, onset and concerns of hearing problem

• Now has hearing problem (HRPROB)

• Ever had deafness (DEAFEV)

• Referred to an audiologist, past 5 years (HRAUD)

• Referred to a hearing specialist, past 5 years (HRAUD)

• When last saw doctor about hearing problem (HRPROBMDGYR)

• Told of hearing problem by friends or relatives (HRFAM)

• Cause of hearing loss (HRCAUSE1)

• Cause of hearing loss (see HRCBIRTHGR, genetic reason for hearing loss, which lists the 11 possible causes specified for the 1991 survey only)

• Hearing loss sudden or gradual (HRSUDDEN)

• Frequency hearing causes worry about safety (HRSAFETY)

• Age at beginning of adult's hearing loss (HEARDAAGE)

• Hearing is worse in one ear (HRWORSE)

• Which ear is worse (HRWHICH)

• Hearing without hearing aid, left ear (HRLEFT )

• Hearing without hearing aid, right ear (HRRIGHT)

• Can hear and understand someone who whispers from across a quiet room (HRWHISP)

• Can hear and understand someone who shouts from across a quiet room (HRSHOUT)

• Can hear and understand if someone speaks loudly in the "better ear" from across a quiet room (HRSPEAK)

• Can hear and understand if someone talks in a normal voice from across a room (HRTALK)

• Trouble with hearing in presence of background noise (HRBACK)

• Can hear loud noises (HRLOUDNOIS)

• Can tell one kind of noise from another (HRTELLNOIS)

• Can tell speech from other sounds (HRTELLSPECH)

• Gallaudet Hearing Scale Score (HRGALSCAL)

Several variables are only available for 1984:

• Amount of trouble with hearing (HRPROBAMT

• Hears most things people say (with hearing aid) (HRMOSTSAID

• Hears only a few words (HRFEWORDS

In 2007 hearing problem related variables were part of Sample Adult Hearing Supplement, (sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The hearing supplement questions were included to address the Healthy People 2010 program initiatives. Questions included:

• Hearing loss related to noise exposure: see HRISKWRKEV, ever regularly exposed to loud noise on the job

• Access to hearing services and assistive devices: see HRALDUSE, used assistive-listening device

• Hearing aid related variables : see HRAEV, ever wore a hearing aid

• Reasons for not using hearing devices when recommended: see HRAREC, hearing aid ever recommended but never used

Hearing related variables for sample children include:

• Age at beginning of child's hearing loss (HEARDCAGE)

• Child's hearing problem began before or after third birthday (HEARDCAGE3)

• Child's age when hearing problem diagnosed: Time period (HRDIAGCTP)

• Child's age when hearing problem diagnosed: Number of units (HRDIAGCNO)

• Trouble with hearing in presence of background noise (HRBACK)

There are also a number of variables specifying alternative health treatments for hearing problems, such as HYPTHEAR, used hypnosis for a hearing problem. These can be found under the Alternative Health tab on the Person heading under "Variables."

In 2015 hearing problem related variables were a part of Family Disability (FDB). Approximately half of families will be asked the set of disability questions.