Hearing problems force teachers into early retirement
Fully one half of all female Swedish teachers in early retirement are suffering from hearing loss and/or tinnitus. One in three of the early retirements were precipitated directly by hearing problems. Only a minority is being treated with hearing aids.
Hearing problems affect a significant minority of teachers in Sweden. A study published in the 2006 annual report from the National Swedish Association of Hearing Impaired People, HRF, indicated that hearing was partly or fully to blame for the early retirement of one third of third of female teachers who had to give up teaching.
800 women in early retirement took part in the study.
More than 40 percent of the women stated that they often or always had trouble hearing the students in class or their colleagues at staff meetings.
In spite of the high prevalence of hearing problems as many as 80 percent of the women affected did not use hearing aids.
Source: Hörselsskadades Riksförbund (HRF), 'Det går väl ganska bra? - om hörselskadades situation i Sverige', Annual Report 2006.
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