Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Hearing Damage Among Adults Using Headphones via Mobile Applications

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Audiology
• Otoacoustic Emissions

Background:

• Recreational noise exposure is a growing public health concern linked to hearing loss.
• Young adults frequently use personal audio systems at unsafe volume levels.
• Understanding hearing impairment from audio gadget use is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate hearing impairment in young adults due to exposure to various audio gadgets.
• To assess the prevalence of hearing loss associated with headphone usage patterns.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 241 participants aged 20-40 years.
• Data collected via questionnaires on headphone usage history and patterns.
• Hearing screening conducted using the World Health Organization's hearWHO mobile application.

Main Results:

• Subclinical hearing loss was identified in 83.4% of headphone users.
• Participants using headphones for music systems showed significantly different hearWHO scores (p=0.023).
• A higher prevalence of hearing loss was observed in those using headphones for multiple purposes.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of young adult headphone users exhibit subclinical hearing loss.
• Findings underscore the importance of hearing protection among individuals exposed to recreational noise.
• The study demonstrates the utility of mobile health technology for hearing screening in India.