Analysis of auditory measures in normal hearing young male adult cigarette smokers using multiple variable selection methods with predictive validation assessments.

Kamakshi V Gopal,Jacquelin Pearce,Richard Herrington

doi:10.1155/2009/745151

Kamakshi V Gopal, Jacquelin Pearce + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/745151

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Abstract

Studies have shown that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for hearing loss; however, no information is available on auditory preclinical indicators in young chronic cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoking involves exposure to many harmful chemicals including carbon monoxide (CO). In this study, the CO level in 16 young normal hearing male chronic smokers was measured with a CO monitor, and was used as the outcome measure. Subjects were administered a battery of audiological tests that included behavioral and electrophysiologic measures. The goal was to investigate which auditory test measures can be used as potential predictors of the outcome measure. Using ordinary least squares estimation procedures with best-subsets selection and bootstrapped stepwise variable selection procedures, an optimal predictive multiple linear regression model was selected. Results of this approach indicated that auditory brainstem response peak V amplitudes and distortion product otoacoustic emissions had the highest predictive value and accounted for most of the variability.

Highlights

Recent years have seen a sharp increase in the number of young adults that regularly smoke tobacco cigarettes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highest rate of smoking in the US is among 18–24 year-old adults, and there has been a national health objective to reduce the prevalence of smokers in that age group [1]
This study used bootstrap procedures to estimate confidence intervals for regression predictor weights and importance statistics. This was accomplished by boot-strapping parameter estimates and model fit indices for linear regression

Summary

Introduction

Recent years have seen a sharp increase in the number of young adults that regularly smoke tobacco cigarettes. Current methods to evaluate smoking status include blood or urine tests that measure plasma nicotine, or the less invasive breath CO concentration measurement [2,3,4,5]. Of these tests, breath CO concentration measurement provides immediate assessment without further need for laboratory tests. Many portable breath CO monitors are currently on the market, and when used in conjunction with a questionnaire, have been found to provide a rapid and accurate assessment of exposure to cigarette smoke [5, 6]. While passive environmental exposures may contribute in a small degree to increased breath CO concentrations, a reasonable cut-off level of 3–7 parts per million (ppm) should effectively lower false-positive results [8,9,10]

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