Abstract
The increasing use of personal listening devices (PLDs) has been accompanied by a rise in the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) in younger age groups. However, there have been few reports on the relationship between HL and leisure noise exposure (LNE) in adolescents. The purpose of our study was to investigate the prevalence of HL in students attending general middle and high schools and to identify factors affecting HL prevalence. A total of 2,879 nationally representative adolescents in the first years of middle and high school underwent audiometric testing and otological examinations, and completed questionnaires, from June to December 2016. A speech-frequency hearing loss (SFHL) was considered present when the pure tone averages (PTAs) at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz were ≥ 15 dB and a high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) was considered present when the PTAs at 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz were ≥ 15 dB. About 17% of Korean adolescents exhibited at least slight HL. The prevalence rates of SFHL and HFHL in the poorer ear were 11.6% and 10.3%, respectively, among Korean adolescents. The use of local area network (LAN) gaming centers and an experience of being asked by others to lower earphone volume were associated with both SFHL and HFHL. It is important to avoid excessive LNE to prevent adolescent HL. Additionally, SFHL or HFHL in the poorer ear was associated with lower academic performance.
Highlights
Noise-induced hearing loss is a hearing impairment caused by exposure to loud sounds, and initially affects the high-frequency hearing threshold
We investigated the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) and the associations between HL and noise-related factors, including specific types of leisure noise exposure (LNE) that adolescents are typically exposed to, as well as self-rated academic achievement in adolescents in South Korea
Gender, smoking habits, alcohol intake, socioeconomic status, and noise-related behaviors did not differ significantly between participants who were included and excluded. After excluding those for whom essential data were missing, 1,846 students were assessed for factors related to HL; 1,803 students were included to analyze factors related to tinnitus; 1,729 students were subjected to analysis regarding local area network (LAN) gaming center-related variables; and 1,806 students were subjected to an academic performance analysis (Fig 1)
Summary
Noise-induced hearing loss is a hearing impairment caused by exposure to loud sounds, and initially affects the high-frequency hearing threshold. Noise-induced hearing loss that was attributable to occupational noise exposure was of major concern, and hearing loss (HL) caused by leisure noise exposure (LNE) was considered to be relatively unimportant [1, 2]. Occupational HL is high in developing countries, the prevalence thereof is lower in developed countries because of governmental regulations, the use of personal protective. The prevalence of hearing loss and its association with leisure noise exposure role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
