Departments of Otorhinolaryngology, Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
PLoS One. 2019 Jan 4;14(1):e0209254. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209254. eCollection 2019.
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.
越来越多的人使用个人听力设备 (PLD)，随之而来的是年轻人听力损失 (HL) 的发病率上升。然而，关于青少年 HL 与休闲噪声暴露 (LNE) 之间的关系，报道甚少。本研究旨在调查中学生 HL 的患病率，并确定影响 HL 患病率的因素。2016 年 6 月至 12 月，对全国范围内初中和高中一年级的 2879 名青少年进行了听力测试和耳科检查，并完成了问卷调查。当 0.5、1 和 2 kHz 的纯音平均值 (PTA) ≥ 15 dB 时，考虑存在语音频率听力损失 (SFHL)；当 3、4、6 和 8 kHz 的 PTA ≥ 15 dB 时，考虑存在高频听力损失 (HFHL)。大约 17%的韩国青少年存在至少轻度 HL。在较差耳中，SFHL 和 HFHL 的患病率分别为 11.6%和 10.3%。使用局域网 (LAN) 游戏中心和被他人要求调低耳机音量与 SFHL 和 HFHL 均有关。为了预防青少年 HL，应避免过度的 LNE。此外，较差耳中的 SFHL 或 HFHL 与较低的学业成绩有关。
