Association between shift work and hearing loss: The Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Audiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The relationship between shift work and hearing loss requires further investigation, especially considering occupational noise exposure.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for public health initiatives and workplace safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between shift work and hearing loss in a Chinese population.
• To examine the combined effects of shift work duration and occupational noise exposure on hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study of 11,196 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort.
• Shift work was self-reported; hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone mean of 25 dB or higher.
• Robust Poisson regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs).

Main Results:

• Short-duration shift work (<10 years) was associated with a higher prevalence of bilateral hearing loss in women (PR=1.024).
• This association in women was significant after excluding occupational noise exposure (PR=1.067).
• Combined long-duration shift work (≥10 years) and long noise exposure (≥20 years) showed the highest PRs for hearing loss.

Conclusions:

• Short-duration shift work may be an independent risk factor for hearing loss in women.
• Combined exposure to shift work and occupational noise significantly increases hearing loss prevalence.
• Interventions should consider both factors to mitigate hearing loss risks.