Hearing loss symptoms and leisure noise exposure in university students in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Dellanira Isabel Escobar-Castro, Michelle De Jesús Vivas-Cortés, Cindy Paola Espinosa-Cepeda and 2 others
PMID 34787235WHAT IT FOUND
University students exposed to recreational noise above 85 dBA were significantly more likely to report symptoms like tinnitus and earache.
Over half the sample exceeded this safety limit, primarily due to personal audio devices and nightlife, suggesting a need for hearing health promotion in academic settings.
Key findings
01Students exposed to weekly recreational noise levels above the permissible limit had a 1.57 times greater chance of having four or more hearing loss symptoms.
02Exposure to noise levels above the risk threshold was significantly associated with the presence of tinnitus and earache.
03The median weekly noise exposure for the total sample was 87 dBA, which is above the occupational limit of 85 dBA.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Hearing status was assessed via self-report questionnaires, not audiometry, which the authors note may underestimate hearing loss in older adults but overestimate it in younger adults. The study did not assess the frequency of hearing loss symptoms, only their presence. Music students were underrepresented in the sample, potentially skewing data on exposure from playing in bands. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that noise exposure caused the symptoms, only that they are associated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these students have clinically diagnosed hearing loss. The findings are based on self-reported symptoms and a screening questionnaire, not objective audiometric testing, so the 'probable hearing loss' classification reflects symptom burden rather than confirmed auditory thresholds.