Association Between Obesity and Tinnitus Among Adults in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018

Introduction Obesity, a growing concern worldwide, may be associated with the occurrence of tinnitus. Studies suggest that obese populations are at a greater risk of development or progression of tinnitus; however, the association remains underexplored. This study aimed to determine the effect of obesity on the prevalence of tinnitus in the US population. Methodology This cross-sectional analysis used de-identified data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 cycles, which included 5,452 individuals in the final analytic sample. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between obesity and tinnitus. Results A total of 5,452 adults aged ≥ 20 years from NHANES 2015-2018 were analyzed. Tinnitus was reported by 863 (17.2%) participants. It was more common among older adults, males, and those who were obese or depressed. Prevalence was higher in obese adults (433, 20.3%) as compared to non-obese adults (430, 15.0%) (<i>P</i> = 0.007). In regression analyses, obesity was significantly associated with tinnitus in the unadjusted model (odds ratio (OR) = 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.87) and remained significant after adjusting for demographic and other covariates (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.01-1.98). Conclusions The study concluded that obesity appears to be independently associated with an increased prevalence of tinnitus. The findings underscore the importance of considering weight management in people with tinnitus, and further research is needed to clarify this association.