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

Sofie Degeest,Hannah Keppler,Bart Vinck

doi:10.3390/ijerph18158033

Abstract

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.

Highlights

The difference in the occurrence of temporary and chronic tinnitus between the students from the general secondary program (GSP) and technical secondary program (TSP) was not statistically significant (Fisher’s exact test = 4.103; p > 0.05), it should be noted that the students reporting chronic tinnitus were all from the TSP group
For the remaining hearing-related symptoms, no significant differences were found between the students from the GSP and TSP
The present study explored hearing-related symptoms, leisure noise exposure, and attitudes and beliefs towards noise, hearing loss, and hearing protector devices (HPDs) in 247 adolescents between 15 and 20 years in two educational programs in Flanders using a self-report questionnaire

Summary

Introduction

In 2015, the World Health Organization estimated that 1.1 billion young people worldwide could be at risk of developing hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices [1]. The latter entails long-term, repeated exposure to loud noise causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) or hearing-related symptoms such as decreased speech understanding in unfavorable listening conditions, tinnitus, and noise sensitivity [2]. Leisure noise exposure in children and adolescents requires special focus [5] as hearing loss impacts speech and language development [6], psychosocial development [7], and education performance [8]

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Conclusion