The global burden of occupational noise-induced hearing loss.
TL;DR: The proportion of the population exposed to occupational noise was estimated using noise exposure data from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), adjusted by data on the distribution of the work force by occupational category and economic sector, and economic activity rates in each WHO subregion as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Background
Excessive noise is a global occupational health hazard with considerable social and physiological impacts, including noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This paper describes the worldwide morbidity of occupational NIHL in the year 2000.
Methods
The proportion of the population exposed to occupational noise was estimated using noise exposure data from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), adjusted by data on the distribution of the work force by occupational category and economic sector, and economic activity rates in each WHO subregion. These values for the exposed population and risk measures for NIHL were used to develop estimates of the attributable fraction (AF) of adult-onset hearing loss resulting from occupational noise exposure. The AFs were applied to WHO estimates of total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from adult-onset hearing loss to estimate the DALYs due to occupational noise.
Results
Worldwide, 16% of the disabling hearing loss in adults (over 4 million DALYs) is attributed to occupational noise, ranging from 7% to 21% in the various subregions. The effects of the exposure to occupational noise are larger for males than females in all subregions and higher in the developing regions.
Conclusions
Occupational noise is a significant cause of adult-onset hearing loss. The majority of this NIHL burden can be minimized by the use of engineering controls to reduce the generation of noise at its source. Am. J. Ind. Med. 48:446–458, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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14 Oct 2009
TL;DR: Identifying factors associated with patient’s risk for hospitalization or emergency department visits in home health care May 2021 Podium Presentation.
787 citations
TL;DR: The prevalence of NIHL is declining in most industrialized countries, probably due to preventive measures, and it is difficult to distinguish between NIHL and age-related hearing loss at an individual level.
Abstract: To give a systematic review of the development of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in working life. A literature search in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Health and Safety Abstracts, with appropriate keywords on noise in the workplace and health, revealed 22,413 articles which were screened by six researchers. A total of 698 articles were reviewed in full text and scored with a checklist, and 187 articles were found to be relevant and of sufficient quality for further analysis. Occupational noise exposure causes between 7 and 21 % of the hearing loss among workers, lowest in the industrialized countries, where the incidence is going down, and highest in the developing countries. It is difficult to distinguish between NIHL and age-related hearing loss at an individual level. Most of the hearing loss is age related. Men lose hearing more than women do. Heredity also plays a part. Socioeconomic position, ethnicity and other factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, vibration and chemical substances, may also affect hearing. The use of firearms may be harmful to hearing, whereas most other sources of leisure-time noise seem to be less important. Impulse noise seems to be more deleterious to hearing than continuous noise. Occupational groups at high risk of NIHL are the military, construction workers, agriculture and others with high noise exposure. The prevalence of NIHL is declining in most industrialized countries, probably due to preventive measures. Hearing loss is mainly related to increasing age.
274 citations
TL;DR: Hearing loss prevention and intervention programs should be targeted at those industries and occupations identified to have a high prevalence of workplace noise exposure and those industries with the highest proportion of noise-exposed workers who reported non-use of HPDs.
Abstract: Background
To estimate the prevalence of workplace noise exposure and use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) at noisy work, NIOSH analyzed 1999–2004 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Methods
A total of 9,275 currently employed workers aged ≥16 years were included in the weighted analysis. Hazardous workplace noise exposure was defined as self-reported exposure to noise at their current job that was so loud that the respondent had to speak in a raised voice to be heard. Industry and occupation were determined based on the respondent's current place and type of work.
Results
Twenty-two million US workers (17%) reported exposure to hazardous workplace noise. The weighted prevalence of workplace noise exposure was highest for mining (76%, SE = 7.0) followed by lumber/wood product manufacturing (55%, SE = 2.5). High-risk occupations included repair and maintenance, motor vehicle operators, and construction trades. Overall, 34% of the estimated 22 million US workers reporting hazardous workplace exposure reported non-use of HPDs. The proportion of noise-exposed workers who reported non-use of HPDs was highest for healthcare and social services (73.7%, SE = 8.1), followed by educational services (55.5%).
Discussion
Hearing loss prevention and intervention programs should be targeted at those industries and occupations identified to have a high prevalence of workplace noise exposure and those industries with the highest proportion of noise-exposed workers who reported non-use of HPDs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:358–371, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
250 citations
TL;DR: The causes, consequences, and magnitude of hearing loss from a life-course perspective are considered, including the concept of "hearing health," how to achieve it, and implications for policy and practice.
Abstract: Sensory abilities decline with age. More than 5% of the world's population, approximately 360 million people, have disabling hearing loss. In adults, disabling hearing loss is defined by thresholds greater than 40 dBHL in the better hearing ear.Hearing disability is an important issue in geriatric medicine because it is associated with numerous health issues, including accelerated cognitive decline, depression, increased risk of dementia, poorer balance, falls, hospitalizations, and early mortality. There are also social implications, such as reduced communication function, social isolation, loss of autonomy, impaired driving ability, and financial decline. Furthermore, the onset of hearing loss is gradual and subtle, first affecting the detection of high-pitched sounds and with difficulty understanding speech in noisy but not in quiet environments. Consequently, delays in recognizing and seeking help for hearing difficulties are common. Age-related hearing loss has no known cure, and technologies (hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive devices) improve thresholds but do not restore hearing to normal. Therefore, health care for persons with hearing loss and people within their communication circles requires education and counseling (e.g., increasing knowledge, changing attitudes, and reducing stigma), behavior change (e.g., adapting communication strategies), and environmental modifications (e.g., reducing noise). In this article, we consider the causes, consequences, and magnitude of hearing loss from a life-course perspective. We examine the concept of "hearing health," how to achieve it, and implications for policy and practice.
245 citations
TL;DR: ‘Hearing impairment’, “job demand”, and the requirement to ‘recognize/distinguish between sounds’ were the strongest risk-factors for stress related sick-leave.
Abstract: This study compares the occupational performance of employees with and without hearing impairment, and aims to identify occupational difficulties specifically related to hearing loss The Amsterdam Checklist for Hearing and Work was administered to 150 hearing-impaired employees and 60 normally-hearing colleagues A multivariate analysis of variance was performed to test group effects, and to examine differences between means Factors predicting sick-leave were identified by regression analyses A significant group effect (p < 001) was found Hearing-impaired employees differed from normally-hearing colleagues in their perception of 'environmental noise', 'job control' and the 'necessity to use hearing activities' at work Also, sick-leave due to distress occurred significantly more often in the hearing impaired group (p < 005) 'Hearing impairment', 'job demand', and the requirement to 'recognize/distinguish between sounds' were the strongest risk-factors for stress related sick-leave The importance of hearing functions besides speech communication is discussed Implications for rehabilitation are suggested In future research, hearing loss should be considered as a risk factor for fatigue and mental distress which may lead to sick-leave
203 citations
References
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01 Dec 2004
TL;DR: This book provides a comprehensive assessment of the scientific evidence on prevalence and hazards, and the resulting health effects, of a range of exposures that are known to be hazardous to human health, including childhood and maternal undernutrition, nutritional and physiological risk factors for adult health, addictive substances, sexual and reproductive health, and risks in the physical environments of households and communities.
Abstract: During the last quarter of the twentieth century, a number of works have addressed both the methodological and empirical aspects of population-wide impacts of major causes of diseases. This gradual establishment of "risk assessment" or "risk quantification" has been driven partly by the academic curiosity of individual researchers and partly by the demands of regulatory agencies and public policy for better quantitative evidence on the health implications of certain risk exposures. These efforts nonetheless have generally been within the disciplinary and methodological traditions of individual risk factors and in a limited number of settings. As a result, the criteria for evaluating scientific evidence have varied greatly across risk factors resulting in lack of comparability across risk factors.
This book provides a comprehensive assessment of the scientific evidence on prevalence and hazards, and the resulting health effects, of a range of exposures that are known to be hazardous to human health, including childhood and maternal undernutrition, nutritional and physiological risk factors for adult health, addictive substances, sexual and reproductive health, and risks in the physical environments of households and communities, as well as among workers. This book is the culmination of over 3 years of scientific enquiry and data collection, collectively known as the comparative risk assessment (CRA) project, involving over 100 scientists, applying a common analytical framework and methods to ensure greater consistency and comparability in using and evaluating scientific evidence across risks.
As a result, our understanding of the comparative extent of disease burden caused by various exposures worldwide has advanced, and key areas of scientific enquiry to better inform policy needs to reduce risks have been elucidated. As public health researchers and practitioners evaluate policy alternatives for improving population health, this book not only demonstrates the enormous potential for disease prevention, but also provides a fundamental reference for the scientific evidence on some of the most important global risks to health.
2,451 citations
TL;DR: Estimates for the prevalence of self-reported hearing disability and measured hearing impairment as a function of age in the adult population of Great Britain are reported from two 2-stage surveys, with rigorous audiological assessment at the second stage.
Abstract: Estimates for the prevalence of self-reported hearing disability and measured hearing impairment as a function of age in the adult population of Great Britain (GB) are reported from two 2-stage surveys. The main study was conducted in Cardiff, Glasgow, Nottingham and Southampton, with rigorous audiological assessment at the second stage. A supplementary study used a sample representative of GB with simplified domiciliary audiological assessments. In the main study, neither stage showed any gross bias arising from the particular cities chosen; the estimates from the first stage are free of bias arising from non-response. The estimates from the second stage are relatively free of bias arising from non-attendance. For the present purposes, defining a 'significant' level of hearing impairment as at least 25 dBHL averaged over the frequencies 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz, 16% of the adult population (17-80 years) have a bilateral, and about one in four a unilateral or bilateral, hearing impairment. About 10% of the adult population (aged 17+) report bilateral hearing difficulty in a quiet environment.
504 citations
TL;DR: Exposure to occupational hazards accounts for a significant proportion of the global burden of disease and injury, which could be substantially reduced through application of proven risk prevention strategies.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Around the globe, work has a heavy impact on health. To better advise policy makers, we assessed the global burden of disease and injury due to selected occupational hazards. This article presents an overview, and describes the methodology employed in the companion studies. METHODS: Using the World Health Organization (WHO) Comparative Risk Assessment methodology, we applied relative risk measures to the proportions of the population exposed to selected occupational hazards to estimate attributable fractions, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Numerous occupational risk factors had to be excluded due to inadequate global data. RESULTS: In 2000, the selected risk factors were responsible worldwide for 37% of back pain, 16% of hearing loss, 13% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 11% of asthma, 8% of injuries, 9% of lung cancer, and 2% of leukemia. These risks at work caused 850,000 deaths worldwide and resulted in the loss of about 24 million years of healthy life. Needlesticks accounted for about 40% of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infections and 4.4% of HIV infections in health care workers. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to occupational hazards accounts for a significant proportion of the global burden of disease and injury, which could be substantially reduced through application of proven risk prevention strategies.
200 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the effects of occupational exposure to solvents and noise on the hearing of rotogravure printing workers from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and found that the odds ratio estimates for hearing loss were 1.07 times greater for each increment of 1 year of age.
Abstract: Objectives This study explored the effects of occupational exposure to solvents and noise on the hearing of rotogravure printing workers from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods The study group comprised 124 workers exposed to various levels of noise and an organic solvent mixture of toluene, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. Data on work history, psychosocial aspects of the job, medical history, present health, stress, occupational and nonoccupational exposures to noise or chemicals, and life-style factors were collected through an interview. The participants underwent pure-tone audiometry and immittance audiometry testing. Their exposures to noise and solvents were assessed. Results Forty-nine percent of the workers had hearing loss. From the numerous variables that were analyzed for their contribution to the development of hearing loss (age, tenure, noise dose, solvent concentrations in air, biological marker for toluene, job category, work and medical history items, smoking, alcohol consumption, work perception scores, nonoccupational exposures), age and hippuric acid (the biologic marker for toluene in urine) were the only variables that met the significance level criterion in the final multiple logistic regression model. The odds ratio estimates for hearing loss were 1.07 times greater for each increment of 1 year of age [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.03--1.11] and 1.76 times greater for each gram of hippuric acid per gram of creatinine (95% CI 1.00--2.98). Conclusion The findings suggest that exposure to toluene has a toxic effect on the auditory system. Further research is needed on the mechanisms underlying the effects of toluene and on the adequacy of current recommended exposure limits.
141 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The findings suggest that exposure to toluene has a toxic effect on the auditory system and further research is needed on the mechanisms underlying the effects of toLUene and on the adequacy of current recommended exposure limits.
132 citations