Impact of Headphone Use on Hearing among Medical Students at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia
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- Category: Vol. 84, December 2016
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Impact of Headphone Use on Hearing among Medical Students at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, ABDULLAH MUSLEH, MESSEDAH AWAD, SHADIA ALI, SOAD AYED, AISHA ALI, EMAN YAHYA, EBTEHAL YAHYA and OSSAMA A. MOSTAFA
Abstract
Objectives: To assess prevalence and associated factors of sensorineural hearing impairment among medical students at King Khalid university, Saudi Arabia.
Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was followed among a sample of 200 students enrolled in the College of Medicine, at King Khalid University, Abha City, Saudi Arabia. A simple questionnaire was constructed by the researchers and was used for data collection. Otoscopic examination and pure tone audiometry were performed to all participant students. A 20 dB HL level for all study frequencies was considered as a cut off for diagnosing hearing impairment.
Results: The vast majority of medical students (97%) reported using headphones, 41.3% used headphones for 4 hours or more per day. Mild hearing impairment was reported among 34% of participants. Prevalence of hearing impairment among students was significantly higher among older students (p=0.016), male students (p=0.035), and those who used headphones for longer times (p=0.003). However, intensity of heard sound while using headphones, use of potentially ototoxic medications and family history of hearing loss were not significantly associated with hearing impairment.
Conclusions: Using headphones for long periods of time can be harmful to hearing. Therefore, in order to minimize the cumulative influence of exposure to noise while using headphones, listeners should decrease the duration of time of using headphones.