University Marching Band Members' Noise Dosages and Hearing Health-Related Knowledge.

Nilesh J Washnik,Shade Kirjava,Allyson Goff,Rebecca Meier,Jeffrey A Russell,Ishan Bhatt,Nicole Nadeau,Olivia Chuzie

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111497

Abstract

Objectives: (1) To measure sound exposures of marching band and non-marching band students during a football game, (2) to compare these to sound level dose limits set by NIOSH, and (3) to assess the perceptions of marching band students about their hearing health risk from loud sound exposure and their use of hearing protection devices (HPDs). Methods: Personal noise dosimetry was completed on six marching band members and the band director during rehearsals and performances. Dosimetry measurements for two audience members were collected during the performances. Noise dose values were calculated using NIOSH criteria. One hundred twenty-three marching band members responded to a questionnaire analyzing perceptions of loud music exposure, the associated hearing health risks, and preventive behavior. Results: Noise dose values exceeded the NIOSH recommended limits among all six marching band members during rehearsals and performances. Higher sound levels were recorded during performances compared to rehearsals. The audience members were not exposed to hazardous levels. Most marching band members reported low concern for health effects from high sound exposure and minimal use of HPDs. Conclusion: High sound exposure and low concern regarding hearing health among marching band members reflect the need for comprehensive hearing conservation programs for this population.

Highlights

Our results demonstrated that all six marching band members exceeded 100% noise dose in each of the rehearsal sessions and game performances (Tables 1 and 2, and Figure 1)
The director of the marching band exceeded 100% noise dose only during game performances, while the noise dose of the audience members was below 100% during both of the football games
The results of this study suggest that marching band members are exposed to hazardous sound levels during marching band rehearsals and performances

Summary

Introduction

High sound exposure among collegiate student musicians can exceed the recommended exposure limits specified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [1] on a daily basis [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Most of the hazardous sound exposure among these musicians occurs during rehearsals, individual practice, and other music activities [2,4,5,7]. Frequent exposure to high sound levels is associated with hearing loss [9,10,11,12] and with other hearing-loss-related symptoms, such as tinnitus, hyperacusis, and diplacusis [10,11,12,13,14].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion