Gilliver Megan, Nguyen Jenny, Beach Elizabeth F, Barr Caitlin
National Acoustic Laboratories, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia.
HEARing Cooperative Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
Semin Hear. 2017 Nov;38(4):282-297. doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1606324. Epub 2017 Oct 10.
Personal listening devices (PLDs) have the potential to increase the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) for users. The present study aimed to investigate the nature and extent of the risk posed, by describing the user profile of a PLD population, identifying listening habits of that population, and examining whether PLD risk status is associated with hearing damage. A sample of 4,185 Australian PLD users completed an online survey about listening behaviors and hearing health. Listeners were characterized as low, high, or very high-risk based on daily noise dose estimates calculated from self-reported listening volume and durations. Listening patterns and hearing difficulties were examined in relation to risk status. Results indicated differences in listening volumes and durations with respect to age, with higher listening volumes reported for environments with greater background noise. Fifteen percent of participants' usage was classified as posing a potential risk to hearing, with a significantly greater proportion of younger people in higher-risk categories. Forty-one percent of participants reported feeling they have a hearing loss, with ∼20% reporting difficulties with speech in noise. For 18- to 35-year-olds, higher-risk status was associated with a greater proportion of self-reported hearing difficulties, including perceived poorer speech perception. These results have implications for hearing health promotion activities and suggest that messages should focus on either volume levels or durations depending on the particular activity in which the PLD is used. In addition, the results underline the importance of placing PLD exposure in the context of individuals' wider noise exposure. Although PLD use alone is not placing the majority of users at risk, it may be increasing the likelihood that individuals' cumulative noise exposure will exceed safe levels.
个人听力设备（PLD）有可能增加使用者患噪声性听力损失（NIHL）的风险。本研究旨在通过描述PLD使用者群体的特征、确定该群体的听力习惯以及检查PLD风险状况是否与听力损伤相关，来调查所造成风险的性质和程度。4185名澳大利亚PLD使用者参与了一项关于听力行为和听力健康的在线调查。根据自我报告的听力音量和时长计算出的每日噪声剂量估计值，将听众分为低风险、高风险或极高风险。研究了听力模式和听力困难与风险状况之间的关系。结果表明，听力音量和时长在不同年龄阶段存在差异，背景噪音较大的环境中报告的听力音量更高。15%的参与者的使用情况被归类为对听力有潜在风险，高风险类别中的年轻人比例明显更高。41%的参与者表示感觉自己有听力损失，约20%的人报告在嘈杂环境中存在言语理解困难。对于18至35岁的人来说，高风险状况与更高比例的自我报告听力困难相关，包括感觉言语感知较差。这些结果对听力健康促进活动具有启示意义，并表明应根据使用PLD的具体活动，将信息重点放在音量水平或时长上。此外，结果强调了将PLD暴露置于个人更广泛噪声暴露背景下的重要性。虽然单独使用PLD不会使大多数使用者面临风险，但它可能会增加个人累积噪声暴露超过安全水平的可能性。
