Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
Department of Audiology and Speech Therapy, Birzeit University, Palestine.
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2023 Mar 7;66(3):1085-1109. doi: 10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00461. Epub 2023 Feb 20.
Many workers in developing countries are exposed to unsafe occupational noise due to inadequate health and safety practices. We tested the hypotheses that occupational noise exposure and aging affect speech-perception-in-noise (SPiN) thresholds, self-reported hearing ability, tinnitus presence, and hyperacusis severity among Palestinian workers.
Palestinian workers ( = 251, aged 18-70 years) without diagnosed hearing or memory impairments completed online instruments including a noise exposure questionnaire; forward and backward digit span tests; hyperacusis questionnaire; the short-form Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12); the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory; and a digits-in-noise (DIN) test. Hypotheses were tested via multiple linear and logistic regression models, including age and occupational noise exposure as predictors, and with sex, recreational noise exposure, cognitive ability, and academic attainment as covariates. Familywise error rate was controlled across all 16 comparisons using the Bonferroni-Holm method. Exploratory analyses evaluated effects on tinnitus handicap. A comprehensive study protocol was preregistered.
Nonsignificant trends of poorer SPiN performance, poorer self-reported hearing ability, greater prevalence of tinnitus, greater tinnitus handicap, and greater severity of hyperacusis as a function of higher occupational noise exposure were observed. Greater hyperacusis severity was significantly predicted by higher occupational noise exposure. Aging was significantly associated with higher DIN thresholds and lower SSQ12 scores, but not with tinnitus presence, tinnitus handicap, or hyperacusis severity.
Workers in Palestine may suffer from auditory effects of occupational noise and aging despite no formal diagnosis. These findings highlight the importance of occupational noise monitoring and hearing-related health and safety practices in developing countries.
由于健康和安全措施不足，许多发展中国家的工人面临不安全的职业性噪声暴露。我们检验了以下假设：职业性噪声暴露和年龄会影响巴勒斯坦工人的噪声下言语感知（SPiN）阈值、自我报告的听力能力、耳鸣存在情况和听觉过敏严重程度。
251 名巴勒斯坦工人（年龄 18-70 岁）没有诊断出听力或记忆障碍，完成了在线问卷，包括噪声暴露问卷、顺背和倒背数字广度测试、听觉过敏问卷、简短版言语、空间和听觉质量量表（SSQ12）、耳鸣残疾量表和噪声中数字测试。使用多元线性和逻辑回归模型检验假设，将年龄和职业性噪声暴露作为预测因素，性别、娱乐性噪声暴露、认知能力和学业成就作为协变量。使用 Bonferroni-Holm 方法对所有 16 个比较进行了总体错误率控制。探索性分析评估了对耳鸣残疾的影响。全面的研究方案已预先注册。
观察到 SPiN 表现、自我报告听力能力、耳鸣发生率、耳鸣残疾程度和听觉过敏严重程度随着职业性噪声暴露的增加而呈现出无统计学意义的下降趋势。更高的职业性噪声暴露与更高的听觉过敏严重程度显著相关。年龄与更高的 DIN 阈值和更低的 SSQ12 得分显著相关，但与耳鸣存在、耳鸣残疾或听觉过敏严重程度无关。
尽管没有正式诊断，但巴勒斯坦工人可能受到职业性噪声和年龄的听觉影响。这些发现强调了在发展中国家进行职业性噪声监测和与听力相关的健康和安全措施的重要性。
