Headphones and Loud Music Could Cause Billions to Go Deaf

More than a billion youngsters could be at risk of losing their hearing due to their personal listening devices and loud music venues

Highlights:

Use of earphones, headphones and other personal listening devices is high especially among teens and younger adults
Prevalence of unsafe listening practices through headphones and attendance at loud entertainment venues is—24% and 48%, respectively, among teens and young people worldwide //
There is a pressing need for governments and global organizations to prioritize safe listening practices

While concerts and listening to music on earphones may be fun, it could be potentially deafening.

In a recent study published by open access journal BMJ Global Health, it is suggested that more than 1 billion teens are potentially at risk of hearing loss because of their use of headphones and earbuds and attendance at loud music venues ().

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‘Listening to loud music using headphone could cause billions of teenagers to suffer from hearing loss’

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a substantial, often unrecognized, health problem. Various learning environments and activities in school settings are loud. Previous researchers have reported the prevalence of NIHL among US. adolescents ranging between 12.8% and 17.5%, suggesting that one in every six to eight middle and high school students (aged 12-19 years) has measurable hearing loss likely resulting from excessive noise exposure. Evidence suggests that even mild levels of hearing loss negatively affect auditory perception and cognitive skills ().

Governments around the world need to urgently prioritize ‘safe listening’ policies to safeguard aural health, say the researchers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 430 million people worldwide currently have disabling hearing loss. Young people are particularly vulnerable because of their use of personal listening devices (PLDs), such as smartphones, headphones and earbuds, and attendance at loud music venues, amid poor regulatory enforcement.

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Previously published research suggests that PLD users often choose volumes as high as 105 dB while average sound levels at entertainment venues range from 104 to 112 dB, exceeding permissible levels (80 dB for adults; 75 dB for children) even if for very short periods of time.

The study wanted estimate the prevalence of unsafe listening practices among teens and young adults to create a global estimate of the numbers who could therefore be at risk of hearing loss, with the aim of informing evidence-based policy to safeguard aural health.

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Researchers scanned databases for relevant studies published in English, French, Spanish and Russian, involving 12–34-year-olds and reporting on objectively measured device output levels and length of exposure.

Thirty-three studies, corresponding to data from 35 records and 19,046 participants, were included; 17 records focused on PLD use and 18 focused on loud entertainment venues.

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And they estimated the global number of people who could be at risk of hearing loss by considering the estimated global population of 12–34-year-olds in 2022 (2.8 billion) and the best estimates of exposure to unsafe listening practices from PLDs or loud entertainment venues derived from the systematic review.

The pooled data analysis indicates that the prevalence of unsafe listening practices from PLD use and attendance at loud entertainment venues is common worldwide—24% and 48%, respectively, among teens and young people.

Based on these figures, the researchers estimate that the global number of teens and young adults who could potentially be at risk of hearing loss as a result ranges from 0.67 to 1.35 billion.

The researchers acknowledge some limitations to their findings, including the varied study design—a particular feature of the studies on entertainment venues—and the absence of standardized methodology.

Nor did their estimates account for some potentially influential factors, such as demographic details and recent changes to policy on safe listening in some countries/regions.

Nevertheless, their findings prompt them to conclude: “There is an urgent need for governments, industry, and civil society to prioritize global hearing loss prevention by promoting safe listening practices".

References:

Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis - (https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/11/e010501.info)
Prevalence of Hearing Loss in US Children and Adolescents: Findings From NHANES 1988-2010 - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28750123/)

Source-Medindia