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Kornisch M, Barton A, Park H, Lowe R, Ikuta T. Prevalence of hearing loss in college students: a meta-analysis. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1282829. [PMID: 38249585 PMCID: PMC10796826 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1282829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hearing loss among college students, specifically noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), appears to be increasing. This may be particularly challenging for this population as college students are required to listen to lectures in classrooms that may have suboptimal listening environments. College-aged musicians are at a particularly high risk due to repeated and extended exposure to loud noise. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was (1) to examine the prevalence of hearing loss in college students and (2) to emphasize the importance of detecting hearing loss at 6,000 Hz. Methods A meta-analysis was conducted using the PRISMA model. The literature search yielded 8 studies (1,950 subjects) that tested hearing loss using an audiogram and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAEs). All studies used audiologic tests to detect hearing loss among college students between the ages of 17-35 years. Results Results indicate that the prevalence of hearing loss in college students is 19%. In addition, the prevalence of hearing loss at 6,000 Hz is 85% among student musicians. For this meta-analysis, slight sensorineural hearing loss, or thresholds greater than 20 dB bilaterally or unilaterally, qualified as hearing loss. Discussion Decreased hearing at 6,000 Hz may lead to an individual's inability to hear important environmental factors and high frequency speech sounds. College students without full auditory function at this frequency may have difficulties performing in class based on decreased attention, comprehension, and memory. Although students may not realize the influence of their 6,000 Hz hearing loss or be unaware of its presence, it could significantly change their likelihood to succeed in college. Therefore, implementing a hearing conservation program may be advised for colleges and universities to help prevent hearing loss in students, particularly for collegiate musicians. In addition, it may be beneficial to screen hearing in college students at 6,000 Hz for better detection of hearing loss overall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Kornisch
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, United States
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Walser-Reichenbach SM, Gerstner DG, Twardella D, Jenkac C, Weilnhammer V, Hendrowarsito L, Perez-Alvarez C, Steffens T, Stilianakis NI, Herr CEW, Heinze S. The Relevance of Leisure Noise to Hearing Threshold Shifts: A Longitudinal Analysis Among Adolescents. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:1186-1195. [PMID: 35226539 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to analyze the association of total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shifts over 5 years among adolescents enrolled in the Ohrkan cohort study. METHOD The Ohrkan cohort of 2,148 students aged 13-19 years was recruited from 2009 to 2011 and followed up 5 years later. Complete baseline and follow-up reports on exposure and outcome were available for 989 participants. Leisure noise exposure was assessed by questionnaires, and clinical audiometric examinations were performed. Two outcomes were defined: occurrence of the Niskar notch pattern and audiometry showing maximum hearing threshold values at 3, 4, and 6 kHz (both ears). Longitudinal analysis using generalized estimating equations was performed. RESULTS High total leisure noise exposure, defined as an energy equivalent of a 40-hr week of > 85 dBA, was estimated for 32.7% of students at baseline and 63.8% at follow-up. A noise notch was observed in 1.1% of adolescents at baseline and 3.3% at follow-up. At baseline, the maximum measured threshold shift was 55 dB, which increased to 85 dB at the follow-up. Longitudinal analysis did not reveal an association between leisure noise exposure and hearing thresholds. Hearing threshold shifts or noise notches were associated with sex, school type, and time point of measurement. CONCLUSIONS No relationship was found between leisure noise and hearing thresholds. Male adolescents and those attending secondary general schools, with graduation following completion of ninth or 10th grade, had a greater likelihood of developing hearing threshold shifts. Prevention programs should focus on these risk groups. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19233462.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Walser-Reichenbach
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Doris G Gerstner
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Dorothee Twardella
- Centre for Early Cancer Detection and Cancer Registration, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Christina Jenkac
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Veronika Weilnhammer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Lana Hendrowarsito
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Steffens
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaos I Stilianakis
- Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra, Italy
- Department of Biometry and Epidemiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Caroline E W Herr
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- University of Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Heinze
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health/Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
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Pienkowski M. Loud Music and Leisure Noise Is a Common Cause of Chronic Hearing Loss, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:4236. [PMID: 33923580 PMCID: PMC8073416 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18084236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
High sound levels capable of permanently damaging the ear are experienced not only in factories and war zones but in concert halls, nightclubs, sports stadiums, and many other leisure environments. This review summarizes evidence that loud music and other forms of "leisure noise" are common causes of noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, even if audiometric thresholds initially remain within clinically normal limits. Given the huge global burden of preventable noise-induced hearing loss, noise limits should be adopted in a much broader range of settings, and education to promote hearing conservation should be a higher public health priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Pienkowski
- Osborne College of Audiology, Salus University, Elkins Park, PA 19027, USA
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Nelson NL, Killion MC, Lentz JJ, Kidd GR. Hearing Protection Success: Musicians Have a Favorable Response to Hearing Protection and Listeners Are Unable to Identify Music Produced by Musicians Wearing Hearing Protection. J Am Acad Audiol 2021; 31:763-770. [PMID: 33740821 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1719128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Musicians are known to be at risk for developing hearing sensitivity and hearing-related problems given their occupational exposure to high-level sound. Among options for hearing conservation, earplugs are an effective and inexpensive choice. Adoption rates for musicians' earplugs remains consistently low, however, given concerns about the impact of hearing protection on their own performance as well as concerns that the resultant music will be a negative experience for listeners. In fact, few studies have (1) examined musicians' attitudes about using hearing protection while performing themselves and (2) determined whether music played by musicians wearing hearing protection sounds different to listeners. PURPOSE The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate how wearing musicians' earplugs affected musicians' perception of their performance while they were playing, and (2) to examine whether listeners can distinguish a difference between music recorded by musicians playing with and without earplugs. RESEARCH DESIGN Experiment 1: student musicians were recorded playing under two conditions (with and without wearing earplugs) and then were surveyed about their experience. Experiment 2: musically experienced and naïve listeners were presented with musical samples played by musicians with and without earplugs in an ABX format. Listeners responded by indicating whether the third stimulus (X) was conditionally identical to the first (A) or second stimulus (B). RESULTS Experiment 1: while performing, musicians always preferred the no earplugs condition. The majority, however, rated the overall experience of playing with earplugs as generally positive. Experiment 2: listeners were unable to hear a difference between the two recordings. DISCUSSION In this experiment, musicians rated their experience playing without hearing protection more favorably than their experience playing with hearing protection, but most musicians rated their experience with hearing protection as generally positive. The inability of listeners to distinguish a difference in music played with and without hearing protection suggests that the listening experience may not be adversely impacted by hearing protection worn by the performers. CONCLUSION Earplugs are an inexpensive, noninvasive strategy for hearing conservation for musicians, and this study indicates that barriers to wearing hearing protection might be less problematic than previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy L Nelson
- Indiana University Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Bloomington, Indiana
| | | | - Jennifer J Lentz
- Indiana University Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Gary R Kidd
- Indiana University Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Bloomington, Indiana
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although numerous studies have shown that musicians have better speech perception in noise (SPIN) compared to nonmusicians, other studies have not replicated the "musician advantage for SPIN." One factor that has not been adequately addressed in previous studies is how musicians' SPIN is affected by routine exposure to high levels of sound. We hypothesized that such exposure diminishes the musician advantage for SPIN. DESIGN Environmental sound levels were measured continuously for 1 week via body-worn noise dosimeters in 56 college students with diverse musical backgrounds and clinically normal pure-tone audiometric averages. SPIN was measured using the Quick Speech in Noise Test (QuickSIN). Multiple linear regression modeling was used to examine how music practice (years of playing a musical instrument) and routine noise exposure predict QuickSIN scores. RESULTS Noise exposure and music practice were both significant predictors of QuickSIN, but they had opposing influences, with more years of music practice predicting better QuickSIN scores and greater routine noise exposure predicting worse QuickSIN scores. Moreover, mediation analysis suggests that noise exposure suppresses the relationship between music practice and QuickSIN scores. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest a beneficial relationship between music practice and SPIN that is suppressed by noise exposure.
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Le Prell CG, Hammill TL, Murphy WJ. Noise-induced hearing loss and its prevention: Integration of data from animal models and human clinical trials. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 146:4051. [PMID: 31795668 PMCID: PMC7195863 DOI: 10.1121/1.5132951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal models have been used to gain insight into the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and its potential prevention using investigational new drug agents. A number of compounds have yielded benefit in pre-clinical (animal) models. However, the acute traumatic injury models commonly used in pre-clinical testing are fundamentally different from the chronic and repeated exposures experienced by many human populations. Diverse populations that are potentially at risk and could be considered for enrollment in clinical studies include service members, workers exposed to occupational noise, musicians and other performing artists, and children and young adults exposed to non-occupational (including recreational) noise. Both animal models and clinical populations were discussed in this special issue, followed by discussion of individual variation in vulnerability to NIHL. In this final contribution, study design considerations for NIHL otoprotection in pre-clinical and clinical testing are integrated and broadly discussed with evidence-based guidance offered where possible, drawing on the contributions to this special issue as well as other existing literature. The overarching goals of this final paper are to (1) review and summarize key information across contributions and (2) synthesize information to facilitate successful translation of otoprotective drugs from animal models into human application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen G Le Prell
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75080, USA
| | - Tanisha L Hammill
- Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia 22042, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinanati, Ohio 45226-1998, USA
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Wei W, Heinze S, Gerstner DG, Walser SM, Twardella D, Reiter C, Weilnhammer V, Perez-Alvarez C, Steffens T, Herr CEW. Audiometric notch and extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift in relation to total leisure noise exposure: An exploratory analysis. Noise Health 2019; 19:263-269. [PMID: 29319010 PMCID: PMC5771058 DOI: 10.4103/nah.nah_28_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies investigating leisure noise effect on extended high frequency hearing are insufficient and they have inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate if extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift is related to audiometric notch, and if total leisure noise exposure is associated with extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. MATERIALS AND METHODS A questionnaire of the Ohrkan cohort study was used to collect information on demographics and leisure time activities. Conventional and extended high-frequency audiometry was performed. We did logistic regression between extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift and audiometric notch as well as between total leisure noise exposure and extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. Potential confounders (sex, school type, and firecrackers) were included. RESULTS Data from 278 participants (aged 18-23 years, 53.2% female) were analyzed. Associations between hearing threshold shift at 10, 11.2, 12.5, and 14 kHz with audiometric notch were observed with a higher prevalence of threshold shift at the four frequencies, compared to the notch. However, we found no associations between total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shift at any extended high frequency. CONCLUSION This exploratory analysis suggests that while extended high-frequency hearing threshold shifts are not related to total leisure noise exposure, they are strongly associated with audiometric notch. This leads us to further explore the hypothesis that extended high-frequency threshold shift might be indicative of the appearance of audiometric notch at a later time point, which can be investigated in the future follow-ups of the Ohrkan cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjia Wei
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Heinze
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich; Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Clinical Centre of the University of Munich, Germany
| | - Doris G Gerstner
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Sandra M Walser
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Dorothee Twardella
- Centre for Early Cancer Detection and Cancer Registration, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Christina Reiter
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Veronika Weilnhammer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Steffens
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Regensburg, Germany
| | - Caroline E W Herr
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich; University of Munich, Germany
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Workplace hazards in the performing arts cause injuries, disabilities, and deaths every year. Occupational health professionals are familiar with most of these hazards and are particularly qualified to contribute to efforts to reduce them. This article reviews current health issues in the performing arts and highlights opportunities for occupational health contributions. METHODS Recognized experts in performing arts medicine were consulted and articles illustrating performing arts health issues were reviewed. Literature sources included medical databases, unindexed art-health publications, and popular press articles. RESULTS Resources discussing hazards and health issues in theater, dance, voice, and instrumental musicians were located and reviewed. CONCLUSIONS Treatment providers have a history of involvement with segments of the performing arts. The occupational health approach to workplace health issues can effectively complement these efforts. Sources of further information on performing arts health concerns are available.
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Rashid MS, Leensen MCJ, Dreschler WA. Application of the online hearing screening test "Earcheck": Speech intelligibility in noise in teenagers and young adults. Noise Health 2017; 18:312-318. [PMID: 27991462 PMCID: PMC5227011 DOI: 10.4103/1463-1741.195807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The objective was to describe the speech intelligibility in noise test results among Dutch teenagers and young adults aged 12–24 years, using a national online speech reception threshold (SRT) test, the Earcheck. A secondary objective was to assess the effect of age and gender on speech intelligibility in noise. Design: Cross-sectional SRT data were collected over a 5-year period (2010–2014), from participants of Earcheck. Regression analyses were performed, with SRT as the dependent variable, and age and gender as explaining variables. To cross-validate the model, data from 12- to 24-year olds from the same test distributed by a hearing aid dispenser (Hoorscan) were used. Results: In total, 96,803 valid test results were analyzed. The mean SRT score was −18.3 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) (standard deviation (SD) = 3.7). Twenty-five percent of the scores was rated as insufficient or poor. SRT performance significantly improved with increasing age for teenagers aged 12–18 years by 0.49 dB SNR per age-year. A smaller age-effect (0.09 dB SNR per age-year) was found for young adults aged 19–24 years. Small differences between male and female users were found. Conclusion: Earcheck generated large quantities of national SRT data. The data implied that a substantial number of users of Earcheck may have some difficulty in understanding speech in noise. Furthermore, the results of this study showed an effect of gender and age on SRT performance, suggesting an ongoing maturation of speech-in-noise performance into late adolescence. This suggests the use of age-dependent reference values, but for this purpose, more research is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marya Sheikh Rashid
- Clinical and Experimental Audiology, ENT Department, Academic Medical Center (AMC) Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Monique C J Leensen
- Clinical and Experimental Audiology, ENT Department, Academic Medical Center (AMC) Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter A Dreschler
- Clinical and Experimental Audiology, ENT Department, Academic Medical Center (AMC) Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Henning RLW, Bobholz K. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in college music majors and nonmusic majors. Noise Health 2016; 18:10-20. [PMID: 26780957 PMCID: PMC4918677 DOI: 10.4103/1463-1741.174372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence and absence of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) as well as DPOAE amplitudes were compared between college music majors and a control group of nonmusic majors. Participants included 28 music majors and 35 nonmusic majors enrolled at a university with ages ranging from 18-25 years. DPOAEs and hearing thresholds were measured bilaterally on all the participants. DPOAE amplitudes were analyzed at the following f2 frequencies: 1,187 Hz, 1,500 Hz, 1,906 Hz, 2,531 Hz, 3,031 Hz, 3812 Hz, 4,812 Hz, and 6,031 Hz. Significantly more music majors (7/28) than nonmusic majors (0/35) exhibited absent DPOAEs for at least one frequency in at least one ear. Both groups of students reported similar histories of recreational and occupational noise exposures that were unrelated to studying music, and none of the students reported high levels of noise exposure within the previous 48 h. There were no differences in audiometric thresholds between the groups at any frequency. At DPOAE f2 frequencies from 3,031 Hz to 6,031 Hz, nonsignificantly lower amplitudes of 2-4 dB were seen in the right ears of music majors versus nonmajors, and in the right ears of music majors playing brass instruments compared to music majors playing nonbrass instruments. Given the greater prevalence of absent DPOAEs in university music majors compared to nonmusic majors, it appears that early stages of cochlear damage may be occurring in this population. Additional research, preferably longitudinal and across multiple colleges/universities, would be beneficial to more definitively determine when the music students begin to show signs of cochlear damage, and to identify whether any particular subgroups of music majors are at a greater risk of cochlear damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Warner Henning
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA
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Sekhar DL, Zalewski TR, King TS, Paul IM. Current office-based hearing screening questions fail to identify adolescents at risk for hearing loss. J Med Screen 2014; 21:172-9. [PMID: 25200362 DOI: 10.1177/0969141314551850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is a rising prevalence of hearing loss among adolescents in the United States. Current paediatric preventive care recommendations by the Bright Futures guidelines and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that clinicians should ask adolescents ten hearing screening questions to identify those who are at high risk of hearing loss for further objective hearing testing. We assessed the utility of these subjective risk assessment questions to distinguish those adolescents with objectively documented hearing loss. SETTING A single public high school in Pennsylvania. METHODS We compared results from a prospective study evaluating objective hearing assessments with the use of the ten Bright Futures hearing screening questions plus additional adolescent-specific questions to predict adolescent hearing loss. RESULTS In relation to the questions used in this study, adolescents who were referred following objective hearing screens were more likely to report "trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time" and a "past experience of slight hearing loss". Referrals from sound treated booth testing were more likely to report "trouble hearing over the phone" and have a diagnosis or history of hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS Most Bright Futures questions were not associated with adolescent hearing loss. An objective adolescent hearing screen should be considered in the recommended schedule of preventive care, instead of the current risk-based subjective assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tonya S King
- Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
| | - Ian M Paul
- Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
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Auchter M, Le Prell CG. Hearing loss prevention education using adopt-a-band: changes in self-reported earplug use in two high school marching bands. Am J Audiol 2014; 23:211-26. [PMID: 24699991 DOI: 10.1044/2014_aja-14-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Hearing loss prevention has always been an important issue for audiologists. The importance of hearing loss prevention education for young musicians is now recognized by the National Association for Music Education as well as the National Association of Schools of Music. Adopt-a-Band is a commercial program designed to foster hearing loss prevention behavior in young musicians. METHOD This study assessed changes in earplug use, measured using self-report surveys, after Adopt-a-Band training. Participants were members of 2 high school marching bands who viewed an informational DVD and reviewed fact sheets. Flat-attenuation earplugs were distributed, and training was provided. In addition, study participants engaged in discussion of hearing loss with a doctor of audiology student. RESULTS Before training, 23% of participants reported they had previously used hearing protection. Immediately after training, 94% of participants reported they planned to use hearing protection at least occasionally. In a final end-of-season survey, earplug use had reliably increased; 62% of participants reported they used earplugs at least occasionally. CONCLUSIONS Earplug use increased, but self-reported behavioral change was not as robust as predicted from self-reported participant intentions. Participant comments regarding factors that influenced their earplug use decisions suggest opportunities to improve training.
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