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Association of Pediatric Hearing Quality and Sports Participation: A Population-Based Study
Elliott D Kozin1,2, Renata M Knoll1,2, Neil Bhattacharyya1,2
1Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Insights
Children playing football face a higher risk of abnormal hearing quality, with a 1.56 times greater likelihood compared to non-football players. This study highlights a potential link between high-impact sports and auditory health in pediatrics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric sports medicine
- Auditory health research
- Epidemiology of sports injuries
Background:
- Sports-related injuries, including concussion, in children can lead to significant morbidity and developmental issues.
- Auditory dysfunction is a recognized potential consequence of sports-related concussion.
- Limited epidemiologic data exists on the association between hearing quality and sports participation in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between sports activities and hearing quality in children.
- To quantify the relationship between participation in specific sports and reported hearing quality.
- To identify if high-concussion sports are linked to auditory dysfunction in the pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 cycle.
- Analyzed subjective reports of hearing quality among child participants.
- Compared hearing quality between children participating in football versus other sports and non-participants.
Main Results:
- Children who played football reported abnormal hearing quality more frequently (36.5%) than those who did not (26.8%).
- Football participation was associated with a 1.56 times higher odds of reporting abnormal hearing quality (P = .001).
- No significant association was found between hearing quality and participation in basketball (P = .496) or soccer (P = .852).
Conclusions:
- A notable association exists between practicing high-concussion sports, specifically football, and impaired hearing quality in children.
- Children engaged in football are significantly more likely to experience abnormal hearing quality.
- Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms linking football participation to auditory dysfunction in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
Sports-related injuries, such as concussion, during childhood may result in considerable morbidity, including a range of negative developmental consequences. Auditory dysfunction is generally recognized to be a possible sequela of sports-related concussion; however, few epidemiologic studies have quantified the association between hearing quality and sports-related activity in the pediatric population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the 2015-2016 cycle was utilized to determine the association of sports activities and hearing quality. Subjective abnormal hearing quality was more frequent among children who played football than those that did not (36.5% vs 26.8%; odds ratio, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.23-2.00]; P = .001). Other sports, such as basketball and soccer, did not have this association with hearing quality (P = .496 and P = .852, respectively). Our findings suggest a notable association between practice of a potentially high concussion sport and hearing quality. Children practicing football are 1.56 times more likely to report abnormal hearing quality.Level of Evidence: 4.
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