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Hearing in 18-year-old Swedish males
A Axelsson1, U Rosenhall, G Zachau
1Department of Audiology, University of Göteborg, Sahlgren's Hospital, Sweden.
Scandinavian Audiology
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Hearing loss in young men is not increasing, despite rising leisure noise exposure. Audiometric tests on 500 conscripts revealed only 14% had hearing loss, lower than previous reports.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Public Health
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Occupational noise exposure is decreasing, but leisure noise exposure is increasing.
- Rising noise exposure may lead to hearing deterioration, particularly in young individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of hearing loss in young males due to increased leisure noise exposure.
- To determine if audiometric tests in teenagers reveal a general increase in hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Audiometric testing was performed on 500 randomly selected military conscripts.
- Hearing levels were assessed across frequencies from 0.25-8 kHz.
- Data was analyzed for correlations between hearing loss and various health parameters.
Main Results:
- The mean hearing level for the conscripts was within international standards.
- 14% of conscripts exhibited hearing loss (defined as >20 dBHL in either ear).
- This prevalence is lower than reported in Norway and Great Britain; no correlation with health parameters was found, except for a tendency for shorter individuals to have more hearing loss.
Conclusions:
- The study did not confirm an increasing general prevalence of hearing loss in young males.
- Leisure noise exposure does not appear to be causing a widespread increase in hearing loss in this demographic.
- Further research may be needed to understand the specific factors contributing to hearing loss in susceptible individuals.