Cultural and Demographic Factors Influencing Noise Exposure Estimates from Use of Portable Listening Devices in an Urban Environment

• Published in: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research language, and hearing research, 2014-08, Vol.57 (4), p.1535-1547
• Main Authors: Fligor, Brian J, Levey, Sandra, Levey, Tania
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustics; Adult; Adults; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Age Factors; Audio Equipment; Behavior; College Students; Communication Disorders; Cultural Differences; Deafness, Noise induced; Demography; Digital audio players; Digital music; Dosimetry; Education; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Estimates; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Ethnicity; Female; Field Studies; Followup Studies; Gender Differences; Handheld Devices; Health aspects; Hearing loss; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced - etiology; Humans; Influences; Laboratories; Laboratory Experiments; Least Squares Statistics; Listening; Loudness (Acoustics); Loudness Perception; Male; Manufacturing; Metropolitan areas; MP3-Player; Music; New York; Noise; Participant Characteristics; Personal media players; Polls & surveys; Questionnaires; Regression (Statistics); Regression Analysis; Risk factors; Sound; Studies; Surveys; Universities; Urban Environment; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1092-4388; 1558-9102
• DOI: 10.1044/2014_JSLHR-H-12-0420

Purpose: This study examined listening levels and duration of portable listening devices (PLDs) used by people with diversity of ethnicity, education, music genre, and PLD manufacturer. The goal was to estimate participants' PLD noise exposure and identify factors influencing user behavior. Method: This study measured listening levels of 160 adults in 2 New York City locations: (a) a quiet college campus and (b) Union Square, a busy interchange. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding demographics and PLD use. Ordinary least squares regression was used to explore the significance of demographic and behavioral factors. Results: Average listening level was 94.1 dBA, with 99 of 160 (61.9%) and 92 of 159 (57.5%) exceeding daily (L[subscript A8hn]) and weekly (L[subscript Awkn]) recommended exposure limit, respectively. African American participants listened at the highest average levels (99.8 dBA). Conclusions: A majority of PLD users exceeded recommended exposure levels. Factors significant for higher exposure were ethnicity and age; factors not significantly associated with exposure were gender, education, location, awareness of possible association between PLD use and noise-induced hearing loss, mode of transportation, device manufacturer, and music genre. Efforts to effect behavior changes to lessen noise-induced hearing loss risk from PLD use should be sensitive to the cultural differences within the targeted population.