This study evaluated the potential risk to hearing associated with the use of portable digital audio players. Twenty-eight university students (12 males, 16 females; aged 17–23) completed a 49-item questionnaire assessing user listening habits and subjective measures of hearing health. Sound level measurements of participants’ self-identified typical and ‘worst case’ volume levels were taken in different classrooms with background sound levels between 43 and 52 dBA. The median frequency and duration of use was 2 h per day, 6.5 days a week. The median sound levels and interquartile ranges (IQR) at typical and ‘worst case’ volume settings were 71 dBA and 79 dBA , respectively. When typical sound levels were considered with self-reported duration of daily use, none of the participants surpassed Leq(8) 85 dBA. On the questionnaire, 19 students reported experiencing at least one symptom of possible noise-induced hearing loss. Significant differences in MP3 user listening patterns were found between respondents who had experienced tinnitus and those who had not. The findings add to a growing body of literature that collectively supports a need for further research investigating MP3 player user listening habits in order to assess their potential risk to hearing health.
REFERENCES
1.
Ahmed
, S.
, Fallah
, S.
, Garrido
, B.
, Gross
, A.
, King
, M.
, Morrish
, T.
, Pereira
, D.
, Sharma
, S.
, Zasaewska
, E.
, and Pichora-Fuller
, K.
(2007
). “Use of portable audio devices by university students
,” Can. Acoust.
35
, 35
–52
.2.
Axelsson
, A.
, and Jerson
, T.
(1985
). “Noisy toys: A possible source of sensorineural hearing loss
,” Pediatrics
76
, 574
–578
.3.
Axelsson
, A.
, Rosenhall
, U.
, and Zachau
, G.
(1994
). “Hearing in 18-year-old Swedish males
,” Scand. Audiol.
23
, 129
–134
.4.
British Standards Institution
(2000
). “Sound system equipment—Headphones and earphones associated with portable audio equipment—Maximum sound pressure level measurement methodology and limit considerations—Part 1: General method for one package equipment
,” BS EN 50332-1:2000.5.
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
(2009
). “What are the occupational exposure limits for workplace noise
?” http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/exposure_can.html (Last viewed January 20, 2010).6.
Chung
, J. H.
, Des Roches
, C. M.
, Meunier
, J.
, and Eavey
, R. D.
(2005
). “Evaluation of noise-induced hearing loss in young people using a web-based survey technique
,” Pediatrics
115
, 861
–867
.7.
Dalton
, D. S.
, Cruickshanks
, K. J.
, Wiley
, T. L.
, Klein
, B. E.
, Klein
, R.
, and Tweed
, T. S.
(2001
). “Association of leisure-time noise exposure and hearing loss
,” Audiology
40
, 1
–9
.8.
Daniel
, E.
(2007
). “Noise and hearing loss: A review
,” J. Sch. Health
77
, 225
–231
.9.
Fausti
, S. A.
, Wilmington
, D. J.
, Helt
, P. V.
, Helt
, W. J.
, and Konrad-Martin
, D.
(2005
). “Hearing health and care: The need for improved hearing loss prevention and hearing conservation practices
,” J. Rehabil. Res. Dev.
42
, 45
–62
.10.
Florentine
, M.
, Hunter
, W.
, Robinson
, M.
, Ballow
, M.
, and Buus
, S.
(1998
). “On the behavioral characteristics of loud-music listening
,” Ear Hear.
19
, 420
–428
.11.
Health Canada
(2006
). “Personal stereo systems and the risk of hearing loss. It’s your health
,” http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/life-vie/stereo-baladeur_e.html (Last viewed July 13, 2008).12.
Hodgetts
, W. E.
, Rieger
, J. M.
, and Szarko
, R. A.
(2007
). “The effects of listening environment and earphone style on preferred listening levels of normal hearing adults using an MP3 player
,” Ear Hear.
28
, 290
–297
.13.
ISO
(1990
). “Acoustics-determination of occupational noise exposure and estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment
,” ISO 1990.14.
ISO
(2002
). “Acoustics-determination of sound immission from sound sources placed close to the ear—Part 1: Technique using a microphone in a real ear (MIRE technique)
,” ISO 11904-1:2002.15.
ISO
(2004
). “Acoustics-determination of sound immission from sound sources placed close to the ear—Part 2: Technique using a manikin
,” ISO 11904-2:2004.16.
Keith
, S. E.
, Bly
, S.
, Chiu
, V.
, and Hussey
, R. G.
(2001
). “Sound levels from headphone/portable compact disc player systems III
,” in Inter-Noise Proceedings, 2001 International Congress and Exhibition on Noise Control Engineering
, The Hague, The Netherlands, August 27–30, pp. 1595
–1600
.17.
Keith
, S. E.
, Michaud
, D. S.
, and Chiu
, V.
(2008
). “Evaluating the maximum playback sound levels from portable digital audio devices
,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
123
, 4227
–4237
.18.
Kumar
, A.
, Mathew
, K.
, Alexander
, S. A.
, and Kiran
, C.
(2009
). “Output sound pressure levels of personal music systems and their effect on hearing
,” Noise Health
11
, 132
–140
.19.
LaMarte
, F.
, and Tyler
, R.
(1987
). “Noise-induced tinnitus
,” AAOHN J.
35
, 403
–406
.20.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(1998
). Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Noise Exposure, Revised Criteria
(NIOSH
, Cincinnati, OH
).21.
Niskar
, A. S.
, Kieszak
, S. M.
, Holmes
, A.
, Esteban
, E.
, Rubin
, C.
, and Brody
, D. J.
(2001
). “Estimated prevalence of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts among children 6 to 19 years of age: The third national health and nutrition examination survey, 1988-1994, United States
,” Pediatrics
108
, 40
–43
.22.
Poole
, K.
(2010
). “A review of the current state of knowledge on tinnitus in relation to noise exposure and hearing loss
,” Health and Safety Executive Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire. Research Report No. RR76823.
Portnuff
, C. D. F.
, and Fligor
, B. J.
(2006
). “Output levels of portable digital music Players
,” Paper presented at the Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Children at Work and Play Conference
, Cincinnati, OH.24.
Sadhra
, S.
, Jackson
, C. A.
, Ryder
, T.
, and Brown
, M. J.
(2002
). “Noise exposure and hearing loss among student employees working in university entertainment venues
,” Ann. Occup. Hyg.
46
, 455
–463
.25.
SCENIHR
(2008
).“Potential health risks of exposure to noise from personal music players and mobile phones including a music playing function
,” Brussels, Belgium:European Commission.26.
Shah
, S.
, Gopal
, B.
, Reis
, J.
, and Novak
, M.
(2009
). “Hear today, gone tomorrow: An assessment of portable entertainment player use and hearing acuity in a community sample
,” J. Am. Board Fam. Med.
46
, 19
–23
.27.
United States Environmental Protection Agency
(1974
). “Information on levels of environmental noise requisite to protect public health and welfare with an adequate margin of safety
,” Report No. 550/9-74-004:1-G15Health and Safety Executive Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire.28.
Vogel
, I.
, Brug
, J.
, Hosu
, E. J.
, van der Ploeg
, C. P. B.
, and Raat
, H.
(2008
). “MP3 players and hearing loss: Adolescents’ perceptions of loud music and hearing conservation
,” J. Pediatr. (St. Louis)
152
, 400
–404
.29.
Vogel
, I.
, Verschuure
, H.
, van der Ploeg
, C. P. B.
, Brug
, J.
, and Raat
, H.
(2009
). “Adolescents and MP3 players: Too many risks, too few precautions
,” Pediatrics
123
, e953
–e958
.30.
Williams
, W.
(2005
). “Noise exposure levels from personal stereo use
,” Int. J. Audiol.
44
, 231
–236
.31.
World Health Organization
(1999
). “Noise-induced hearing impairment
,” in Guidelines for Community Noise
, edited by B.
Berglund
, T.
Lindvall
, and D. H.
Schwela
(World Health Organization
, Geneva
), pp. 21
–24
.32.
Zogby
, J.
(2006
). “Survey of teens and adults about the use of personal electronic devices and head phones
,” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Rockville, MD.33.
See supplementary material at http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.3458853. , Annex : Questionnaire, survey conducted by the Acoustics Division at Health Canada and the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology on MP3 player user habits.
2010
Crown
You do not currently have access to this content.