Full Citation
Title: Epidemiology and gender differences in pediatric recreational and firearms noise exposure in the USA
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2020
ISBN:
ISSN: 0023-852X
DOI: 10.1002/lary.27958
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID:
Abstract: Objective We aim to identify contemporary noise exposures and hearing protection use among U.S. children in a large, population‐based study. Methods Cross‐sectional analysis of the 2014 National Health Interview Series was performed. Results from in‐person interviews of families with children under 18 years of age in all 50 states were queried. Potentially harmful exposures to loud sounds and patterns of hearing protection use in the last 12 months were analyzed after representative sample weights were applied. Results Among 73.4 million children, 18.4% (9.1 ± 0.4 million) (boys: 23.2%, girls: 13.5%; P < 0.001) were exposed to firearms noise, and 28.2% (20.7 ± 0.6 million) (boys: 30.5%, girls: 25.8%; P < 0.001) to firecrackers and other explosive sounds. Exposure to recreational “very‐loud” noise exposure was more common (7.9%; 5.8 ± 0.3 million), consisting of music players (46.5%), fireworks (44.8%), lawnmowers (42.6%), and firearms (32.5%). However, only 17.1% of boys and 15.6% of girls, totaling 16.4% of all children, always used hearing protection during noise exposures. Conclusion Children in the United States are commonly exposed to firearms and recreational loud noises. Hearing protection is infrequently used, and gender disparities in patterns of exposure and use of hearing protection are prevalent. Those children and families at risk should be identified via public health initiatives and appropriately counseled by healthcare providers. Level of Evidence NA INTRODUCTION Over the last two decades, there has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of hearing loss in the pediatric population worldwide, rising from 14.9% to 19.5%,1, 2 with up to 25% of children at risk of occupational damage.3 The mean age at the time of referral for pediatric noise‐induced hearing loss is 12.7 years; accordingly, a deficit in hearing may not be recognized until much later in childhood.4 This increased prevalence is generally attributed to the modern day environment, which is increasingly filled with amplified sounds from personal music players, sports venues, concerts, and musical instruments, among many other sources.5, 6 Authors of these studies indicate that most children and adolescents participate in at least one potentially high‐risk noise behavior just listed. Unfortunately, although the use of hearing protection devices in their studies varies, it has not generally been quantified. However, hearing protection devices would not be useful in the case of personal music (MP3) players, which are now used by more than 85% to 90% of school children and have been determined to be the most common source of high‐intensity noise in representative populations.7, 8 Loud sounds from personal music players can increase the risk of noise‐induced permanent threshold shifts.9 Whereas many personal music players may have an upper volume limit, these devices are nevertheless still capable of producing sounds up to 100 dBA and thus can generate acoustic trauma.5, 10, 11 Moreover, even short‐term exposures from other sources of noise popular among adolescents, such as music concerts and sporting events, may permanently impact hearing.12, 13 In addition to recreational noise, children may also be exposed to noise from firearms. It is estimated that nearly one‐third of the households in the United States possess a firearm,14 and it is likely that children in these households have been in the vicinity of the gunfire noise. Exposure to these acute bursts of intense sounds can cause noise‐induced temporary or permanent hearing loss.15-18 Unfortunately, early noise exposure accelerates the age‐related hearing loss process, and once noise‐induced hearing loss manifests, it worsens with continued exposure.19, 20 It is evident that the sources and hazards of loud noise exposure have been studied and evaluated in prior investigations. However, exposure patterns of high‐intensity noise among U.S. children have not been analyzed in a large population‐based study. Accordingly, this investigation was conducted to identify contemporary noise exposures and hearing protection use among U.S. children. The data were gathered by utilizing the National Health Interview Series (NHIS), which has collected information on a broad range of health topics through personal household interviews in the United States since the 1950s.21, 22 In particular, for the first time the 2014 NHIS contained a hearing‐specific survey module sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disease (National Institutes of Health), in which families with infants and children under 18 years of age were queried with an additional 49 questions. The particular data were analyzed here for exposure patterns, as well as use of hearing protection during common noisy environments.
Url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lary.27958
Url: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lary.27958
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Bhatt, Jay M.; Lin, Harrison W.; Bhattacharyya, Neil
Periodical (Full): The Laryngoscope
Issue: 2
Volume: 130
Pages: 541-545
Data Collections: IPUMS Health Surveys - NHIS
Topics: Health, Population Health and Health Systems
Countries: