scholarly journals Leisure Noise Exposure and Associated Health-Risk Behavior in Adolescents: An Explanatory Study among Two Different Educational Programs in Flanders

Author(s):  
Sofie Degeest ◽  
Hannah Keppler ◽  
Bart Vinck

Adolescents frequently engage in noisy leisure activities which can result in hearing-related problems. However, the effect of leisure noise exposure is liable to an individual’s risk-taking behavior. Identifying leisure noise activities and relevant factors related to risk-taking behavior in adolescents, are important to optimize hearing conservation programs targeting youngsters. The purpose of the study was to explore the presence of hearing-related symptoms, as well as noise exposure during various activities, and the use of hearing protector devices (HPDs) in adolescents in two educational programs in Flanders. In addition, their attitudes and beliefs towards noise, hearing loss, and HPDs were investigated. The final sample consisted of 247 adolescents. The most important hearing-related symptoms after noise exposure were tinnitus and noise sensitivity. With regard to leisure noise exposure, listening to PMPs was most frequently reported. The use of HPDs during most noisy activities was limited, in accordance with the presence of hearing-related symptoms, considering noise as unproblematic, and having worse scores on subscales of the beliefs about hearing protection and hearing loss scale. In the future, hearing conservation programs should target adolescents specifically for a more health-orientated behavior towards noise exposure, hearing loss, and HPDs.

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3S) ◽  
pp. 352-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Nadon ◽  
Annelies Bockstael ◽  
Dick Botteldooren ◽  
Jérémie Voix

Purpose In spite of all the efforts to implement workplace hearing conservation programs, noise-induced hearing loss remains the leading cause of disability for North American workers. Nonetheless, an individual's susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss can be estimated by monitoring changes in hearing status in relation to the level of ambient noise exposure. The purpose of this study was to validate an approach that could improve workplace hearing conservation practices. The approach was developed using a portable and robust system designed for noisy environments and consisted of taking continuous measurements with high temporal resolution of the health status of the inner ear using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Method A pilot study was conducted in a laboratory, exposing human subjects to industrial noise recordings at realistic levels. In parallel, OAEs were measured periodically using the designed OAE system as well as with a commercially available OAE system, used as a reference. Results Variations in OAE levels were analyzed and discussed along with the limitations of the reference and designed systems. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the monitoring of an individual's OAEs could be useful in monitoring temporary changes in hearing status induced by exposure to ambient noise and could be considered as a new tool for effective hearing conservation programs in the workplace.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24
Author(s):  
Vance Gunnell ◽  
Jeff Larsen

Hearing thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were measured for teachers of vocal performance who were gathered for a national conference. Results showed mean audiometric thresholds to be consistent with noise induced hearing loss, more than what would be expected with normal aging. Years of instruction and age were considered as factors in the hearing loss observed. It was concluded that hearing conservation should be initiated with this group to help raise awareness and protect them from hearing loss due to occupational noise exposure.


Author(s):  
Weronika Swierniak ◽  
Elzbieta Gos ◽  
Piotr Henryk Skarzynski ◽  
Natalia Czajka ◽  
Henryk Skarzynski

Exposure to loud music—due to widespread personal music players (PMPs) and noisy leisure activities—are major risk factors for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) in adolescents. However, there is little evidence of the impact of noise on the hearing of younger children. This study aimed to explore an association between PMP use and hearing, and to identify other sources of noise among children. The study sample consisted of 1032 children aged 11–12 years old. Hearing thresholds were determined from 0.5 to 8 kHz. PMP use and other noise exposures were evaluated using a survey. We found that 82% of the children had a PMP, and 78% were exposed to noise when playing computer games. An audiometric notch was documented in 1.3% of the children. Only 11.5% of the children ever used hearing protection while engaged in noisy activities. We found no convincing evidence of an association between PMP use and hearing thresholds, although our results suggest that tinnitus may be an early sign of NIHL in young children. The study shows a need to provide children, their parents, and educators with knowledge of how to take care of hearing, including how to avoid and minimize noise exposure.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Barlow

The number of students studying popular music, music technology, and sound engineering courses at both school and university to has increased rapidly in the last few years. These students are generally involved in music-making/recording and listening to a high level, usually in environments with amplified music. Recent studies have shown that these students are potentially exposed to a high risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and are not covered by the same regulatory framework as employees. This study examined the pure tone air conduction hearing thresholds of 50 undergraduate students, including recent school leavers, on a range of popular music courses, to assess if there was evidence of hearing loss. Forty-four percent of students showed evidence of audiometric notch at 4–6 kHz, and 16% were classified under the UK Occupational Health and Safety guidelines as exhibiting mild hearing loss. Instance of audiometric notch was considerably higher than reported from studies of the general population but was around the same level or lower than that reported from studies of “traditional” music courses and conservatoires, suggesting no higher risk for popular music students than for “classical” music students. No relationship with age was present, suggesting that younger students were as likely to exhibit audiometric notch as mature students. This indicates that these students may be damaging their hearing through leisure activities while still at school, suggesting a need for robust education measures to focus on noise exposure of young people.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Wiwit Widyawati ◽  
Triyono Triyono

This study examines the relationship between the corporate governance perception index and firm characteristics are proxied by institutional ownership , profitability (ROA), growth opportunities (growth sales) and size on the risk-taking behavior judged by market stock returns. The population are company that list in Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) and Indonesian Institute for Corporate Governance (IICG) from 2006-2012. Sample was collected based on purposive sampling and resulted in 91 companies as a final sample. Data was collected from Indonesian Capital market Directory (ICMD) and The Indonesian Institute for Corporate Governance (IICG). Its was analyzed with multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that corporate governance perception index, institutional ownership, growth sales and size have significant effect on investor’s risk-taking behavior. But ROA does not impact on investor’s risk-taking behavior. Keywords : corporate governance perception index, firm’s characteristic, risk-taking behavior.


2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa L Miller ◽  
Michael Stewart ◽  
Mark Lehman

Twenty-seven student musicians were surveyed regarding musical practice and playing habits, knowledge of hearing conservation practices, use of hearing protective devices (HPD), and the occurrence of tinnitus after exposure to loud music. In addition, noise exposure levels during practice and sporting events (football and basketball games) at which they played were monitored with a dosimeter simultaneously set to measure noise levels using the OSHA (1983) and NIOSH (1998) measurement criteria. Forty-eight percent of the subjects reported practicing or playing their instrument <10 hours a week. Most musicians (74%) reported having been taught about the effects of noise on hearing and health; however, less than a third used ear protection while playing their instruments, and those who did used it inconsistently. Sixty-three percent of subjects reported experiencing tinnitus after exposure to loud music. Finally, 8-hour time-weighted averages (TWA) and daily noise doses were significantly higher using the NIOSH measurement criteria than the OSHA measurement criteria. Both measurement criteria yielded values that exceeded a 100% daily noise dose for all subjects. Overall, these results indicate that university student directors and musicians appear to be at high risk for permanent noise-induced hearing loss secondary to excessive exposure to loud music. These results support the need for on-going hearing conservation programs to educate student musicians and student directors about the dangers of excessive exposure to loud music.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 109-122
Author(s):  
Sylvanna L. Bielko ◽  
Khalid M. Khan ◽  
M. Margaret Weigel

HighlightsNoise-measuring applications (apps) and in-person classroom presentation were identified as the most preferred approaches by the college agriculture students.Multiple features of noise apps and in-person intervention were identified as beneficial.A subset of participants reported that a combination of approaches could influence hearing protection use.Abstract. Noise-induced hearing loss is a major public health challenge for agricultural communities. However, there is limited hearing conservation research addressing the issue, especially for youth and young adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and practices of Indiana undergraduate students who lived or worked on a farm. The students were asked to rank the most common and current hearing conservation educational approaches, including in-person classroom presentation, mailers, and technology-based approaches, i.e., computer-based training, interactive websites, static websites, and smartphone noise-measuring applications (apps). A total of 91 undergraduate students enrolled in agriculture classes at four Indiana higher educational institutions participated in the study. They completed a sociodemographic and farm activity survey, followed by a 30-minute in-person presentation on hearing health conservation. After the presentation, each participant completed a questionnaire that included items about their perceptions of the feasibility, sustainability, rankings, and preferences of the various educational approaches discussed in the presentation. Participants ranked the noise-measuring app and in-person classroom presentation as their most preferred educational approaches for hearing conservation (39% and 28%, respectively). They identified multiple features of these two intervention approaches as beneficial. Sixty-four percent of participants indicated that a combination of approaches could influence hearing protection use and should include in-person classroom presentation and one of the technology-based approaches (noise-measuring apps, 37.3%). These findings are expected to assist health interventionists and program designers in developing future hearing protection education programs for farm youth, who may otherwise lack access to resources for preventing premature hearing loss due to loud noise exposure. Keywords: Agricultural workers, Hearing conservation, Hearing protection, Undergraduate college students, Youth education.


2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Daniell ◽  
Susan S. Swan ◽  
Mary M. McDaniel ◽  
John G. Stebbins ◽  
Noah S. Seixas ◽  
...  

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