Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - A Preventable Disease?: Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise

Thomas W. Frederiksen; Cecilia H. Ramlau-Hansen; Zara A. Stokholm; Matias B. Grynderup; Åse M. Hansen; Jesper Kristiansen; Jesper M. Vestergaard; Jens P. Bonde; Henrik A. Kolstad

doi:10.4103/nah.NAH_100_16

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - A Preventable Disease? Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise

Thomas W. Frederiksen, Cecilia H. Ramlau-Hansen, Zara A. Stokholm, Matias B. Grynderup, Åse M. Hansen, Jesper Kristiansen, Jesper M. Vestergaard, Jens P. Bonde, Henrik A. Kolstad

Department of Public Health

10 Citations (Scopus)

64 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

AIMS: To survey current, Danish industrial noise levels and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) over a 10-year period and to characterise the association between occupational noise and hearing threshold shift in the same period. Furthermore, the risk of hearing loss among the baseline and the follow-up populations according to first year of occupational noise exposure is evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2001-2003, we conducted a baseline survey of noise- and hearing-related disorders in 11 industries with suspected high noise levels. In 2009-2010, we were able to follow up on 271 out of the 554 baseline workers (49%). Mean noise levels per industry and self-reported HPD use are described at baseline and follow-up. The association between cumulative occupational noise exposure and hearing threshold shift over the 10-year period was assessed using linear regression, and the risk of hearing loss according to year of first occupational noise exposure was evaluated with logistic regression.

RESULTS: Over the 10-year period, mean noise levels declined from 83.9 dB(A) to 82.8 dB(A), and for workers exposed >85 dB(A), the use of HPD increased from 70.1 to 76.1%. We found a weak, statistically insignificant, inverse association between higher ambient cumulative noise exposure and poorer hearing (-0.10 dB hearing threshold shift per dB-year (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.36; 0.16)). The risk of hearing loss seemed to increase with earlier first year of noise exposure, but odds ratios were only statistically significant among baseline participants with first exposure before the 1980s (odds ratio: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11; 3.22).

CONCLUSIONS: We observed declining industrial noise levels, increased use of HPD and no significant impact on hearing thresholds from current ambient industrial noise levels, which indicated a successful implementation of Danish hearing conservation programs.

Original language	English
Journal	Noise & Health
Volume	19
Issue number	87
Pages (from-to)	103-111
Number of pages	9
ISSN	1463-1741
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4103/nah.NAH_100_16
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2017

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Journal Article

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10.4103/nah.NAH_100_16Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss – A Preventable Disease Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational NoiseFinal published version, 155 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-SA

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5437749/Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

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Frederiksen, T. W., Ramlau-Hansen, C. H., Stokholm, Z. A., Grynderup, M. B., Hansen, Å. M., Kristiansen, J., Vestergaard, J. M., Bonde, J. P., & Kolstad, H. A. (2017). Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - A Preventable Disease? Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise. Noise & Health, 19(87), 103-111. https://doi.org/10.4103/nah.NAH_100_16

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abstract = "AIMS: To survey current, Danish industrial noise levels and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) over a 10-year period and to characterise the association between occupational noise and hearing threshold shift in the same period. Furthermore, the risk of hearing loss among the baseline and the follow-up populations according to first year of occupational noise exposure is evaluated.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2001-2003, we conducted a baseline survey of noise- and hearing-related disorders in 11 industries with suspected high noise levels. In 2009-2010, we were able to follow up on 271 out of the 554 baseline workers (49%). Mean noise levels per industry and self-reported HPD use are described at baseline and follow-up. The association between cumulative occupational noise exposure and hearing threshold shift over the 10-year period was assessed using linear regression, and the risk of hearing loss according to year of first occupational noise exposure was evaluated with logistic regression.RESULTS: Over the 10-year period, mean noise levels declined from 83.9 dB(A) to 82.8 dB(A), and for workers exposed >85 dB(A), the use of HPD increased from 70.1 to 76.1%. We found a weak, statistically insignificant, inverse association between higher ambient cumulative noise exposure and poorer hearing (-0.10 dB hearing threshold shift per dB-year (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.36; 0.16)). The risk of hearing loss seemed to increase with earlier first year of noise exposure, but odds ratios were only statistically significant among baseline participants with first exposure before the 1980s (odds ratio: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11; 3.22).CONCLUSIONS: We observed declining industrial noise levels, increased use of HPD and no significant impact on hearing thresholds from current ambient industrial noise levels, which indicated a successful implementation of Danish hearing conservation programs.",

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author = "Frederiksen, {Thomas W.} and Ramlau-Hansen, {Cecilia H.} and Stokholm, {Zara A.} and Grynderup, {Matias B.} and Hansen, {{\AA}se M.} and Jesper Kristiansen and Vestergaard, {Jesper M.} and Bonde, {Jens P.} and Kolstad, {Henrik A.}",

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T1 - Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - A Preventable Disease?

T2 - Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise

AU - Frederiksen, Thomas W.

AU - Ramlau-Hansen, Cecilia H.

AU - Stokholm, Zara A.

AU - Grynderup, Matias B.

AU - Hansen, Åse M.

AU - Kristiansen, Jesper

AU - Vestergaard, Jesper M.

AU - Bonde, Jens P.

AU - Kolstad, Henrik A.

PY - 2017/3/1

Y1 - 2017/3/1

N2 - AIMS: To survey current, Danish industrial noise levels and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) over a 10-year period and to characterise the association between occupational noise and hearing threshold shift in the same period. Furthermore, the risk of hearing loss among the baseline and the follow-up populations according to first year of occupational noise exposure is evaluated.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2001-2003, we conducted a baseline survey of noise- and hearing-related disorders in 11 industries with suspected high noise levels. In 2009-2010, we were able to follow up on 271 out of the 554 baseline workers (49%). Mean noise levels per industry and self-reported HPD use are described at baseline and follow-up. The association between cumulative occupational noise exposure and hearing threshold shift over the 10-year period was assessed using linear regression, and the risk of hearing loss according to year of first occupational noise exposure was evaluated with logistic regression.RESULTS: Over the 10-year period, mean noise levels declined from 83.9 dB(A) to 82.8 dB(A), and for workers exposed >85 dB(A), the use of HPD increased from 70.1 to 76.1%. We found a weak, statistically insignificant, inverse association between higher ambient cumulative noise exposure and poorer hearing (-0.10 dB hearing threshold shift per dB-year (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.36; 0.16)). The risk of hearing loss seemed to increase with earlier first year of noise exposure, but odds ratios were only statistically significant among baseline participants with first exposure before the 1980s (odds ratio: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11; 3.22).CONCLUSIONS: We observed declining industrial noise levels, increased use of HPD and no significant impact on hearing thresholds from current ambient industrial noise levels, which indicated a successful implementation of Danish hearing conservation programs.

AB - AIMS: To survey current, Danish industrial noise levels and the use of hearing protection devices (HPD) over a 10-year period and to characterise the association between occupational noise and hearing threshold shift in the same period. Furthermore, the risk of hearing loss among the baseline and the follow-up populations according to first year of occupational noise exposure is evaluated.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2001-2003, we conducted a baseline survey of noise- and hearing-related disorders in 11 industries with suspected high noise levels. In 2009-2010, we were able to follow up on 271 out of the 554 baseline workers (49%). Mean noise levels per industry and self-reported HPD use are described at baseline and follow-up. The association between cumulative occupational noise exposure and hearing threshold shift over the 10-year period was assessed using linear regression, and the risk of hearing loss according to year of first occupational noise exposure was evaluated with logistic regression.RESULTS: Over the 10-year period, mean noise levels declined from 83.9 dB(A) to 82.8 dB(A), and for workers exposed >85 dB(A), the use of HPD increased from 70.1 to 76.1%. We found a weak, statistically insignificant, inverse association between higher ambient cumulative noise exposure and poorer hearing (-0.10 dB hearing threshold shift per dB-year (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.36; 0.16)). The risk of hearing loss seemed to increase with earlier first year of noise exposure, but odds ratios were only statistically significant among baseline participants with first exposure before the 1980s (odds ratio: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11; 3.22).CONCLUSIONS: We observed declining industrial noise levels, increased use of HPD and no significant impact on hearing thresholds from current ambient industrial noise levels, which indicated a successful implementation of Danish hearing conservation programs.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.4103/nah.NAH_100_16

DO - 10.4103/nah.NAH_100_16

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29192620

SN - 1463-1741

VL - 19

SP - 103

EP - 111

JO - Noise and Health

JF - Noise and Health

IS - 87

ER -

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - A Preventable Disease? Results of a 10-Year Longitudinal Study of Workers Exposed to Occupational Noise

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