Audiometric Assessment of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Its Determinants Among Construction workers. A Cross-Sectional Clinical Study
Audiometric Assessment of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69750/dmls.02.01.0175Keywords:
Noise-induced, hearing, loss, risk, factorsAbstract
Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common occupational health hazards worldwide and remains a significant cause of permanent sensorineural hearing impairment among construction workers. Prolonged exposure to high-intensity noise results in irreversible cochlear damage, yet the condition remains largely underdiagnosed in developing countries due to limited workplace safety practices.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, audiometric characteristics, and associated risk factors of NIHL among construction workers.
Methods: This cross-sectional clinical study was conducted from January to June 2024 and included 70 construction workers with documented occupational noise exposure. Data regarding demographic characteristics, duration of employment, daily noise exposure, use of hearing protection devices (HPDs), and smoking history were collected using a structured questionnaire. Otoscopic examination was performed to exclude external or middle ear pathology, followed by pure tone audiometry assessing thresholds at 0.5–8 kHz. Ambient workplace noise levels were measured using a calibrated sound level meter. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, and associations between NIHL and risk factors were assessed using the Chi-square test.
Results: The prevalence of NIHL was 41.4% (n=29). The classical 4 kHz notch was the most common audiometric finding, and bilateral involvement predominated (72.4%). Significant associations were observed between NIHL and duration of employment (p=0.012), noise levels >100 dB (p=0.003), daily exposure >8 hours (p=0.041), lack of HPD use (p=0.001), and smoking (p=0.037).
Conclusion: NIHL is highly prevalent among construction workers and strongly associated with prolonged exposure, high noise intensity, and poor use of protective equipment. Implementation of hearing conservation programs and mandatory protective measures is essential to prevent irreversible auditory damage.
Downloads
References
Basner M, Babisch W, Davis A, Brink M, Clark C, Janssen S, et al. Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health. Lancet. 2014;383(9925):1325-32.
Le TN, Straatman LV, Lea J, Westerberg BD. Current insights in noise-induced hearing loss: a literature review of the underlying mechanism, pathophysiology, asymmetry, and management options. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;46(1):41.
Masterson EA, Bushnell PT, Themann CL, Morata TC. Hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers—United States, 2003–2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(15):389-94.
Lie A, Skogstad M, Johnsen TS, Engdahl B, Tambs K. Occupational noise exposure and hearing: a systematic review. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2019;92(1):1-22.
Yang H, Wang L, Xu H, Hao W, Liu Y. Association between long-term noise exposure and hearing loss among industrial workers. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9):1900.
Nandi SS, Dhatrak SV. Occupational noise-induced hearing loss in India: a review. J Occup Health. 2019;61(6):389-98.
Sliwinska-Kowalska M, Davis A. Noise-induced hearing loss. Noise Health. 2012;14(61):274-80.
Engdahl B, Tambs K, Hoffman HJ. Occupational noise exposure and hearing loss: a systematic review. Int J Audiol. 2021;60(1):3-13.
Lee J, Han K, Lee WH, Kim YH. Relationship between occupational noise exposure and hearing loss: analysis of nationwide data. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):22155.
Ali L, Haq A, Khan S. Prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss among industrial workers in Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1470-5.
Nakanishi H, Koyama H, Nakamura M. High-frequency hearing thresholds and noise exposure: findings from occupational health surveillance. Int J Audiol. 2020;59(9):655-61.
Ahmed HO, Dennis JH, Badran O, Ismail M, Ballal SG, Ashoor A, et al. Hearing loss and its association with occupational noise exposure among workers in the automotive industry. Occup Med (Lond). 2022;72(1):24-31.
Fuente A, Hickson L. Noise-induced hearing loss in musicians and factory workers: a comparative evaluation. Int J Audiol. 2019;58(7):435-43.
Pettersson H, Burström L, Nilsson T, Björ B, Wahlström J. Noise exposure, hearing loss and use of hearing protection among machine operators. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2020;93(4):457-66.
Zare S, Boorani SK, Alimohammadi I. Assessment of occupational noise exposure among industrial workers and the effectiveness of hearing protection. J Occup Health. 2022;64(1):e12365.
Tak S, Calvert GM. Hearing difficulty attributable to employment by industry and occupation. Am J Ind Med. 2021;64(2):145-54.
Rezaei N, Karami M, Rahimi M. Noise-induced hearing loss and associated factors among textile workers. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2023;1-8.
Chang TY, Liu CS, Huang KH, Chen RY. Impact of environmental and occupational noise exposure on hearing loss among workers. Environ Health Perspect. 2020;128(6):067001.
Kitcher ED, Ocansey G, Tumpi DA. Occupational hearing loss among workers in the metal fabrication industry. Noise Health. 2019;21(99):77-84.
Murphy WJ, Themann CL, Murata TK. Trends in hearing protector use among noise-exposed workers. Ann Work Expo Health. 2021;65(2):219-31.
Downloads
PlumX Metrics
Published
Issue
Section
License
© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you must obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
How to Cite
