Unsafe listening practices from use of personal listening devices and attendance at loud entertainment venues are common — prevalence estimates 23.81% and 48.20%, respectively — and may place up to 1.35 billion young people at risk of hearing loss worldwide, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis of previous studies.
Dillard et al. aimed to determine the prevalence of unsafe listening practices from exposure to personal listening devices and loud entertainment venues in individuals aged 12-34 years, and to estimate the number of young people who could be at risk of hearing loss from unsafe listening worldwide. Image credit: Gigxels.
Hearing loss is a public health concern that deserves global recognition and prioritization.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 430 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss and that its prevalence may almost double if hearing loss prevention is not prioritized.
Recreational noise exposure is a modifiable risk factor for hearing loss and, in 2015, the WHO estimated that 1.1 billion adolescents and young adults were at potential risk of hearing loss from voluntary recreational noise exposure, referred to henceforth as ‘unsafe listening practices.’
This exposure is largely attributable to the use of personal listening devices (PLDs; e.g., mobile phones or MP3 players) and/or from attendance at loud entertainment venues (e.g., discotheques, bars, clubs).
Risk of hearing loss depends on the loudness, duration and frequency of noise exposure.
Permissible levels of recreational noise exposure are often calculated from equivalent occupational noise exposure limits (e.g., 80 decibels (dB) for 40 hours a week or 85 dB for 40 hours a week), which vary slightly by region and/or by regulatory agencies or organizations.
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 even if for very short periods of time.
In their systematic review and meta-analysis, Dr. Lauren Dillard from the Medical University of South Carolina and colleagues wanted to gauge 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.
They trawled research databases for relevant studies published in four languages, involving 12-34 year-olds and reporting on objectively measured device output levels and length of exposure.
A total of 33 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.
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.
“There is an urgent need for governments, industry, and civil society to prioritize global hearing loss prevention by promoting safe listening practices,” they said.
The team’s results were published in the journal BMJ Global Health.
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L.K. Dillard et al. 2022. Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Global Health 7: e010501; doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010501
