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Associations Between Physical Activity, Tinnitus, and Tinnitus Severity
Shanwen Chen1, Xue Yang1, Yuan Jiang1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, P.R. China.
Ear and Hearing
|November 21, 2022
Summary
Regular physical activity may reduce the risk of developing tinnitus. This study found a nonlinear association between exercise levels and tinnitus risk in US adults.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Audiology
Background:
- Tinnitus, a common auditory perception, affects a significant portion of the adult population.
- The relationship between lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, and tinnitus risk requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between physical activity and the development of tinnitus.
- To examine the link between physical activity levels and tinnitus severity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 3826 US adults (20-69 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015-2016).
- Assessed physical activity using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and analyzed tinnitus risk via multivariable logistic regression.
- Explored dose-response relationships using restricted cubic splines, controlling for covariates and excluding participants with depressive symptoms.
Main Results:
- Engaging in physical activity was associated with a lower prevalence of tinnitus (12.8%) compared to no physical activity (18.5%, p=0.005).
- Increased amounts of physical activity (150-4800 min/week) showed progressively lower odds of tinnitus risk.
- No significant association was found between physical activity and tinnitus severity; a nonlinear dose-response relationship between activity amount and tinnitus risk was observed (P for nonlinearity = 0.04).
Conclusions:
- Physical activity may play a role in reducing the risk of tinnitus.
- Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and establish causality.
