Estimated Leisure-Time Noise Exposure, Hearing Thresholds, and Hearing Symptoms of Finnish Conscripts

Abstract

The aim of this study was to set up a statistical measure for determine the total cumulative noise exposure of Finnish conscripts (n = 1,054) as a result of leisure-time noise activities. All of the conscripts underwent hearing screening. The conscripts' time in noisy activities and their rating of the loudness and estimated noise levels of the activities were used as the predictors in the risk analysis. Self-reported hearing symptoms (i.e., tinnitus, pain in the ear) and hearing loss due to noise exposure were also inquired about. Twenty-seven percent of the conscripts had weekly noise exposure to > 85 dBA. Approximately 20% of the conscripts had >20 dB hearing loss in either ear in the frequency range of 0.5 to 8 kHz. The incidence of hearing symptoms seemed to correlate with an increased noise dose.

Health status of professional divers and offshore oil industry workers

“…Subjective auditory symptoms may correlate with noise exposure and objectively determined hearing loss [24,25] and populations of divers have been identified as having a high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss and to suffer a faster decline in hearing with age [26,27]. Complaint of hearing impairment, however, was related to multiple symptom reporting and objective examination is required before any conclusions can be reached.…”

Relative risk of elevated hearing threshold compared to ISO1999 normative populations for Royal Australian Air Force male personnel

“…Presbycusis, the gradual hearing loss associated with ageing, affects more than one-third of those over 75 years and is probably due to gradual cumulative loss of hair cells and neurons (Ganong, 2003). Other factors include gender (International Organisation for Standardisation, 2000), diabetes (Bainbridge et al, 2010;Frisina et al, 2006;Gopinath et al, 2009;Tay et al, 1995), depression (Gopal et al, 2004;Monzani et al, 2008), smoking (Gopinath et al, 2009;Nakanishi et al, 2000), alcohol consumption (Campo and Lataye, 2000), exposures to loud noise (Jokitulppo et al, 2006), and sudden explosive peaks of impulse noise (May, 2000). The importance of adjusting an analysis for confounding variable is highlighted by Agrawal et al (2010).…”

Self-assessed auditory symptoms, noise exposure, and measured auditory function among healthy young Swedish men

“…Exposure to leisure-time noise could be more pronounced during this period of life. In a Finnish study (Jokitulppo et al, 2005) half of the conscripts were exposed weekly to noise levels over 80 dB(A), and 27% were exposed weekly over 85 dB(A) before enrolment to military service. The most prominent exposure levels were found for noisy work, noisy tools, playing in a band, and going to nightclubs and pubs.…”