PEDIATRICS Vol. 108 No. 1 July 2001, pp. 40-43

Estimated Prevalence of Noise-Induced Hearing Threshold Shifts Among Children 6 to 19 Years of Age: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994, United States

Received Jun 7, 2000; accepted Oct 17, 2000.

Amanda Sue Niskar^*, Stephanie M. Kieszak^*, Alice E. Holmes, Emilio Esteban^*, Carol Rubin^*, and Debra J. Brody^§

From the ^* National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;  University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; and the ^§ National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland.

Objective.  This analysis estimates the first nationally representative prevalence of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts (NITS) among US children. Historically, NITS has not been considered a common cause of childhood hearing problems. Among children, NITS can be a progressive problem with continued exposure to excessive noise, which can lead to high-frequency sound discrimination difficulties (eg, speech consonants and whistles).

Methods.  The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) was conducted from 1988 to 1994. NHANES III is a national population-based cross-sectional survey with a household interview, audiometric testing at 0.5 to 8 kHz, and compliance testing. A total of 5249 children aged 6 to 19 years completed audiometry and compliance testing for both ears in NHANES III. The criteria used to assess NITS included audiometry indicating a noise notch in at least 1 ear.

Results.  Of US children 6 to 19 years old, 12.5% (approximately 5.2 million) are estimated to have NITS in 1 or both ears. In the majority of the children meeting NITS criteria, only 1 ear and only 1 frequency are affected. In this analysis, all children identified with NITS passed compliance testing, which essentially rules out middle ear disorders such as conductive hearing loss. The prevalence estimate of NITS differed by sociodemographics, including age and sex.

Conclusions.  These findings suggest that children are being exposed to excessive amounts of hazardous levels of noise, and children's hearing is vulnerable to these exposures. These data support the need for research on appropriate hearing conservation methods and for NITS screening programs among school-aged children. Public health interventions such as education, training, audiometric testing, exposure assessment, hearing protection, and noise control when feasible are all components of occupational hearing conservation that could be adapted to children's needs with children-specific research.  Key words:  noise, hearing, NHANES, audiometry, compliance.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Vogel, H. Verschuure, C. P. B. van der Ploeg, J. Brug, and H. Raat Adolescents and MP3 Players: Too Many Risks, Too Few Precautions Pediatrics, June 1, 2009; 123(6): e953 - e958. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Vogel, J. Brug, C. P. B. van der Ploeg, and H. Raat Strategies for the Prevention of MP3-Induced Hearing Loss Among Adolescents: Expert Opinions From a Delphi Study Pediatrics, May 1, 2009; 123(5): 1257 - 1262. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R. Halloran, J. M. Hardin, and T. C. Wall Validity of Pure-Tone Hearing Screening at Well-Child Visits Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, February 1, 2009; 163(2): 158 - 163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Shah, B. Gopal, J. Reis, and M. Novak Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow: An Assessment of Portable Entertainment Player Use and Hearing Acuity in a Community Sample J Am Board Fam Med, January 1, 2009; 22(1): 17 - 23. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Konrad-Martin Advances in Hearing Conservation Practices: An Interview With Mark Stephenson Hearing and Hearing Disorders: Research and Diagnostics, November 1, 2008; 12(2): 31 - 39. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Tharpe and D. P. Sladen Causation of Permanent Unilateral and Mild Bilateral Hearing Loss in Children Trends in Amplification, March 1, 2008; 12(1): 17 - 25. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. Chesky Preventing Music-Induced Hearing Loss Music Educators Journal, January 1, 2008; 94(3): 36 - 41. [PDF]

				S. E. Griest, R. L. Folmer, and W. H. Martin Effectiveness of "Dangerous Decibels," a School-Based Hearing Loss Prevention Program Am J Audiol, December 1, 2007; 16(2): S165 - S181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Holmes, S. E. Widen, S. Erlandsson, C. L. Carver, and L. L. White Perceived Hearing Status and Attitudes Toward Noise in Young Adults Am J Audiol, December 1, 2007; 16(2): S182 - S189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. K. Meinke and N. Dice Comparison of Audiometric Screening Criteria for the Identification of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Adolescents Am J Audiol, December 1, 2007; 16(2): S190 - S202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R. Halloran, T. C. Wall, H. H. Evans, J. M. Hardin, and A. L. Woolley Hearing Screening at Well-Child Visits Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, October 1, 2005; 159(10): 949 - 955. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. H. Chung, C. M. Des Roches, J. Meunier, and R. D. Eavey Evaluation of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Young People Using a Web-Based Survey Technique Pediatrics, April 1, 2005; 115(4): 861 - 867. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Lee, O. Gomez-Marin, B. L. Lam, and D. D. Zheng Trends in Hearing Impairment in United States Adults: The National Health Interview Survey, 1986-1995 J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., November 1, 2004; 59(11): 1186 - 1190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. NEITZEL, N. SEIXAS, B. GOLDMAN, and W. DANIELL Contributions of Non-occupational Activities to Total Noise Exposure of Construction Workers Ann. Hyg., July 1, 2004; 48(5): 463 - 473. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. R. Goldberg and C. M. Richburg Minimal Hearing Impairment: Major Myths With More Than Minimal Implications Communication Disorders Quarterly, January 1, 2004; 25(3): 152 - 160. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. L. Folmer The Importance of Hearing Conservation Instruction The Journal of School Nursing, June 1, 2003; 19(3): 140 - 148. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Green, A. S. Niskar, S. M Kieszak, E. Esteban, C. Rubin, A. E Holmes, and D. J Brody Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Pediatrics, May 1, 2002; 109(5): 987 - 988. [Full Text] [PDF]

				I Can't Hear You Journal Watch (General), July 17, 2001; 2001(717): 4 - 4. [Full Text]

eLetters: