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Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the association of total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shifts over 5 years among adolescents enrolled in the Ohrkan cohort study. Method: The Ohrkan cohort of 2,148 students aged 13-19 years was recruited from 2009 to 2011 and followed up 5 years later. Complete baseline and follow-up reports on exposure and outcome were available for 989 participants. Leisure noise exposure was assessed by questionnaires, and clinical audiometric examinations were performed. Two outcomes were defined: occurrence of the Niskar notch pattern and audiometry showing maximum hearing threshold values at 3, 4, and 6 kHz (both ears). Longitudinal analysis using generalized estimating equations was performed. Results: High total leisure noise exposure, defined as an energy equivalent of a 40-hr week of > 85 dBA, was estimated for 32.7% of students at baseline and 63.8% at follow-up. A noise notch was observed in 1.1% of adolescents at baseline and 3.3% at follow-up. At baseline, the maximum measured threshold shift was 55 dB, which increased to 85 dB at the follow-up. Longitudinal analysis did not reveal an association between leisure noise exposure and hearing thresholds. Hearing threshold shifts or noise notches were associated with sex, school type, and time point of measurement. Conclusions: No relationship was found between leisure noise and hearing thresholds. Male adolescents and those attending secondary general schools, with graduation following completion of ninth or 10th grade, had a greater likelihood of developing hearing threshold shifts. Prevention programs should focus on these risk groups.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the association of total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shifts over 5 years among adolescents enrolled in the Ohrkan cohort study. Method: The Ohrkan cohort of 2,148 students aged 13-19 years was recruited from 2009 to 2011 and followed up 5 years later. Complete baseline and follow-up reports on exposure and outcome were available for 989 participants. Leisure noise exposure was assessed by questionnaires, and clinical audiometric examinations were performed. Two outcomes were defined: occurrence of the Niskar notch pattern and audiometry showing maximum hearing threshold values at 3, 4, and 6 kHz (both ears). Longitudinal analysis using generalized estimating equations was performed. Results: High total leisure noise exposure, defined as an energy equivalent of a 40-hr week of > 85 dBA, was estimated for 32.7% of students at baseline and 63.8% at follow-up. A noise notch was observed in 1.1% of adolescents at baseline and 3.3% at follow-up. At baseline, the maximum measured threshold shift was 55 dB, which increased to 85 dB at the follow-up. Longitudinal analysis did not reveal an association between leisure noise exposure and hearing thresholds. Hearing threshold shifts or noise notches were associated with sex, school type, and time point of measurement. Conclusions: No relationship was found between leisure noise and hearing thresholds. Male adolescents and those attending secondary general schools, with graduation following completion of ninth or 10th grade, had a greater likelihood of developing hearing threshold shifts. Prevention programs should focus on these risk groups. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19233462, Findings from occupational health studies have shown that continuous exposure to high noise levels can cause hearing impairment (Concha-Barrientos et al., 2004; ISO-1999, 1990). Prolonged exposure to sound pressure levels [...]

Background: Studies investigating leisure noise effect on extended high frequency hearing are insufficient and they have inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate if extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift is related to audiometric notch, and if total leisure noise exposure is associated with extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire of the Ohrkan cohort study was used to collect information on demographics and leisure time activities. Conventional and extended high-frequency audiometry was performed. We did logistic regression between extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift and audiometric notch as well as between total leisure noise exposure and extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. Potential confounders (sex, school type, and firecrackers) were included. Results: Data from 278 participants (aged 18-23 years, 53.2% female) were analyzed. Associations between hearing threshold shift at 10, 11.2, 12.5, and 14 kHz with audiometric notch were observed with a higher prevalence of threshold shift at the four frequencies, compared to the notch. However, we found no associations between total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shift at any extended high frequency. Conclusion: This exploratory analysis suggests that while extended high-frequency hearing threshold shifts are not related to total leisure noise exposure, they are strongly associated with audiometric notch. This leads us to further explore the hypothesis that extended high-frequency threshold shift might be indicative of the appearance of audiometric notch at a later time point, which can be investigated in the future follow-ups of the Ohrkan cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies investigating leisure noise effect on extended high frequency hearing are insufficient and they have inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate if extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift is related to audiometric notch, and if total leisure noise exposure is associated with extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift., Materials and Methods: A questionnaire of the Ohrkan cohort study was used to collect information on demographics and leisure time activities. Conventional and extended high-frequency audiometry was performed. We did logistic regression between extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift and audiometric notch as well as between total leisure noise exposure and extended high-frequency hearing threshold shift. Potential confounders (sex, school type, and firecrackers) were included., Results: Data from 278 participants (aged 18-23 years, 53.2% female) were analyzed. Associations between hearing threshold shift at 10, 11.2, 12.5, and 14 kHz with audiometric notch were observed with a higher prevalence of threshold shift at the four frequencies, compared to the notch. However, we found no associations between total leisure noise exposure and hearing threshold shift at any extended high frequency., Conclusion: This exploratory analysis suggests that while extended high-frequency hearing threshold shifts are not related to total leisure noise exposure, they are strongly associated with audiometric notch. This leads us to further explore the hypothesis that extended high-frequency threshold shift might be indicative of the appearance of audiometric notch at a later time point, which can be investigated in the future follow-ups of the Ohrkan cohort.