Awareness, attitudes and perceptions of students towards leisure noise in Durban, South Africa.
Husna Mahomed, Seema Panday
PMID 38949431WHAT IT FOUND
84.6% of 462 Durban education students knew noise could harm hearing, but 48.3% were unsure whether sounds over 80 dB cause permanent damage.
Key findings
0184.6% knew that excessive noise could cause hearing loss, but 48.3% were unsure whether sounds over 80 dB can permanently damage hearing.
0295.2% used personal listening devices, and 29.4% used them at maximum volume.
03Only 10.4% had previously worn earplugs, but 97.2% said they would decrease noise exposure and wear earplugs if they were aware of the risks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey was done only with Education Department students at one university in Durban, so it may not represent other students or young adults. Participants had to have a Gmail account, so students without email access were not included. The sampling was purposive, not random. The study relied on self-reported awareness, attitudes and symptoms, and it did not measure hearing thresholds. It was done during COVID-19 restrictions, which limited attendance at entertainment venues. The gender and racial distribution was unequal. The quantitative survey did not allow in-depth explanation of opinions.
Declared interests
The authors state that the research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these students had measured hearing loss or that education will prevent it. The study reported self-reported awareness, symptoms and attitudes, and no hearing thresholds were obtained.