Personal listening device usage among Canadians and audiometric outcomes among 6-29 year olds

"It's about wanting to disappear from the world… " - an interpretative phenomenological analysis on the meaning of music and hearing-related risks

PURPOSE

To explore the role and meaning of music in adolescents' lives and the adolescents' ways of understanding how music listening can impact hearing-health.

METHODS

Open-ended interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The analysis involves both individual and more generalized investigations based on the contributions from seven participants.

FINDINGS

The findings show that music is an integrated and habitual aspect of the adolescents' daily lives, used as a tool for emotion regulation, cognitive enhancement, and creating personal space where one can be free from outside criticisms and distractions. There is a preference for music listening in headphones which creates a more intense and private experience. There are varying levels of awareness of the potential hearing-health risks, but the profound meaning of music for their well-being often overshadows any concerns.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite awareness of potential hearing-health risks, the adolescents prioritize the immediate emotional and cognitive benefits of music. Technological advancements and increased social media interactions contribute to a trend towards more personalized music listening. These insights call for more complex intervention strategies and models for health promotion which account for the positive aspects of music listening, instead of merely focusing on the potential risks of loud music.

Tinnitus prevalence and associations with leisure noise exposure among Canadians, aged 6 to 79 years

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between individual, cumulative leisure noise exposure (CLNE), acceptable yearly exposure (AYE) and tinnitus among a nationally representative sample of Canadians.

DESIGN

In-person household questionnaires were used to evaluate leisure noise exposure across age, sex, household income and tinnitus: ever experienced, previous year, frequent, bothersome. High (≥85 dBA, LEX), low (<85 dBA, LEX) CLNE and AYEs were defined according to occupational limits.

STUDY SAMPLE

A randomised sample of 10,460 respondents, aged 6-79, completed questionnaires between 2012 and 2015. Results: Tinnitus prevalence was highest among young adults and teenagers (50% for both). Frequent and bothersome tinnitus afflicted one-third and 18.1% of Canadians, respectively. Men had higher tinnitus prevalence while women had increased bothersome tinnitus. For most ages, elevated tinnitus odds ratios (ORs) were associated with: (1) high, low CLNE and AYEs ≥1 and, (2) high exposure from individual sources: loud home/car stereo listening, power tools, gasoline engines, highway motorcycle/snowmobile driving. Loud personal listening device usage was associated with tinnitus ORs doubling (ages 6-11) and ≥5 or < 5 years of loud usage, with increased tinnitus ORs (ages 12-19).

CONCLUSION

Community and/or school-based educational outreach would be beneficial to increase awareness of loud leisure noise exposure and tinnitus.

Risky listening behaviour to music via headphones and its determinants - 7.5 years OHRKAN cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine risky leisure noise exposure from listening to music via headphones and to identify potential determinants with special focus on portable listening devices (PLDs) among adolescents over a period of 7.5-years.

DESIGN

Data were collected by questionnaires at four equidistant time points (O1-O4). Music exposure via headphones was calculated based on self-reported volume setting and listening duration. Exceeding 85 dB(A) equivalent for a 40-hour working week was defined as risky noise exposure. Determinants of risky headphone and PLD exposure were investigated using generalised estimating equations and accounting for missing data by multiple imputation.

STUDY SAMPLE

Closed cohort of 2148 students attending 9th grade of any secondary school type in Regensburg (Germany), during 2009 to 2011.

RESULTS

Risky noise exposure from headphone usage was almost twice as high in wave O1 and O2 (at age 15 or 18) compared with 20-23-year-olds in O3 and O4. Risky exposure to headphones and PLDs were associated with younger age, low and medium education, single-parent household and smoking, whereas good self-rated hearing showed a protective effect. Additionally, not being born in Germany was associated with risky PLD exposure.

CONCLUSION

Before harmful behaviours become entrenched, starting preventive efforts at a young age is essential.

Leisure noise exposure and hearing outcomes among Canadians aged 6 to 79 years

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between individual and cumulative leisure noise exposure in addition to acceptable yearly exposure (AYE) and hearing outcomes among a nationally representative sample of Canadians.

DESIGN

Audiometry, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and in-person questionnaires were used to evaluate hearing and leisure noise exposure across age, sex, and household income/education level. High-risk cumulative leisure noise exposure was defined as 85 dBA or greater for 40 h or more per week, with AYE calculations also based on this occupational limit.

STUDY SAMPLE

A randomised sample of 10,460 respondents, aged 6-79, completed questionnaires and hearing evaluations between 2012 and 2015.

RESULTS

Among 50-79 year olds, high-risk cumulative leisure noise was associated with increased odds of a notch while high exposure to farming/construction equipment noise was associated with hearing loss, notches and absent DPOAEs. No associations with hearing loss were found however, non-significant tendencies observed included higher mean hearing thresholds, notches and hearing loss odds.

CONCLUSION

Educational outreach and monitoring of hearing among young and middle-aged populations exposed to hazardous leisure noise would be beneficial.