Role of risk factors and their variable types in predicting noise-induced hearing loss using artificial intelligence algorithms.

Occupational noise poses a persistent hazard to hearing, while lack of awareness and inadequate hearing protection device (HPD) training heighten the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Few studies have investigated the effects of NIHL and HPD use in Saudi Arabia, with only one in Jeddah. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of occupational NIHL and assess workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding HPDs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study included 200 industrial workers aged 18-55 years who were exposed to noise. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlations and chi-squared tests. A 32-item questionnaire assessed the KAP regarding occupational NIHL and HPD usage. Hearing screening was conducted using pure-tone audiometry at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz. Participants who failed screening underwent a comprehensive audiological evaluation. The analysis revealed that 39.5% of the participants failed hearing screening. Regarding participants' knowledge, 82% believed that noise could affect hearing, 64.5% believed that NIHL could be prevented, and only 35% knew that it was permanent. In terms of HPD usage, 49% always wore them and 34% wore them sometimes. The main reason for not using HPDs was the difficulty communicating with others while wearing them (40%). Findings revealed that the prevalence of occupational NIHL was higher than the global prevalence. Thus, hearing conservation programs and enhanced awareness of the permanent nature of NIHL can encourage HPD utilization, which is crucial for preventing diminished productivity, income, and overall quality of life.

Objective: To explore the current status of the protective effects of hearing protection devices worn by noise-exposed workers in different industries and its possible influencing factors. Methods: From October 2020 to December 2023, by using the method of convenient sampling, 3634 noise-exposed workers from 7 industries including the petrochemical industry, automotive manufacturing industry, plastic manufacturing industry, and metal manufacturing industry, were selected as the survey subjects. A questionnaire designed by the research group was adopted to investigate the usage of hearing protection devices (foam earplugs, preformed earplugs, and earmuffs) among workers. The personal attenuation rating (PAR) of workers wearing hearing protection devices was measured by using the 3M(TM) E-A-R fit(TM) binaural verification system. Three process tests were carried out, including baseline PAR, intervention PAR (training demonstration of correct wearing of hearing protection devices, replacement of appropriate hearing protection devices and other interventions), and follow-up PAR. The differences of PAR in each group were analyzed by non-parametric tests, and the generalized linear regression model was used to explore the factors that might affect the baseline PAR. Results: The M (Q(1), Q(3)) of the baseline PAR obtained by 3634 workers wearing hearing protection devices was 12 (2, 19) dB. There was a statistically significant difference in baseline PAR among the three types of hearing protection devices (H=336.39, P<0.001), and the baseline PAR of workers wearing foam earplugs and earmuffs were higher than that of preformed earplugs (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in baseline PAR among workers in different industries (Z=359.73, P<0.001). Workers with college degree or above education level, wearing hearing protection devices for 10 to <30 years, foam earplugs and earmuffs, noise intensity≥85 dB (A), knowing the correct wearing method and evaluating the comfort of hearing protection devices had a higher baseline PAR (P<0.05). There were 1559 workers (42.9%) failed the baseline PAR test. After the intervention, the PAR of the workers increased from 1 (0, 6) dB at baseline to 18 (14, 22) dB after the intervention (P<0.001). The follow-up test found that the follow-up PAR of 328 workers was higher than the baseline PAR but lower than the intervention PAR (P<0.001) . Conclusion: The actual protective effect of the hearing protection devices worn by some workers exposed to noise is not good, mainly related to factors such as insufficient knowledge of wearing hearing protection devices among workers, exposure to high-intensity noise, and low educational level. Enterprises should enhance the training of workers on the correct wearing of hearing protection devices by means of hearing protection device fit test methods, select suitable hearing protection devices scientifically, and conduct regular follow-ups when necessary.

Current approaches for evaluating noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), such as the International Standards Organization 1999 (ISO) 1999 prediction model, rely mainly on noise energy and exposure time, thus ignoring the intricate time-frequency characteristics of noise, which also play an important role in NIHL evaluation. In this study, an innovative NIHL prediction model based on temporal and spectral feature extraction using an asymmetric convolution algorithm is proposed. Personal data and individual occupational noise records from 2214 workers across 23 factories in Zhejiang Province, China, were used in this study. In addition to traditional metrics like noise energy and exposure duration, the importance of time-frequency features in NIHL assessment was also emphasized. To capture these features, operations such as random sampling, windowing, short-time Fourier transform, and splicing were performed to create time-frequency spectrograms from noise recordings. Two asymmetric convolution kernels then were used to extract these critical features. These features, combined with personal information (e.g., age, length of service) in various configurations, were used as model inputs. The optimal network structure was selected based on the area under the curve (AUC) from 10-fold cross-validation, alongside the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The proposed model was compared with the support vector machine (SVM) and ISO 1999 models, and the superiority of the new approach was verified by ablation experiments. The proposed model had an AUC of 0.7768 ± 0.0223 (mean ± SD), outperforming both the SVM model (AUC: 0.7504 ± 0.0273) and the ISO 1999 model (AUC: 0.5094 ± 0.0071). Wilcoxon signed ranks tests confirmed the significant improvement of the proposed model ( p = 0.0025 compared with ISO 1999, and p = 0.00142 compared with SVM). This study introduced a new NIHL prediction method that provides deeper insights into industrial noise exposure data. The results demonstrated the superior performance of the new model over ISO 1999 and SVM models. By combining time-frequency features and personal information, the proposed approach bridged the gap between conventional noise assessment and machine learning-based methods, effectively improving the ability to protect workers' hearing.

INTRODUCTION: This manuscript aims to provide a synopsis of the current situation surrounding noise exposure at work and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in Malaysia. NIHL is an occupational illness that affects most many people and can be prevented in many countries in the world. The production and agriculture businesses and the extraction of natural resources and urban traffic all contribute to ambient noise levels. Working in a noisy environment is the main occupational risk factor for adult-onset hearing loss. In this study, we investigate the prevalence of NIHL across different industries, as well as research publication trends on NIHL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Conducted thorough several online databases, like Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, for related research that had already been published. The review phases were carried out according to the recommendations laid out by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews. A set of criteria was developed for selecting relevant studies. RESULTS: The prevalence of NIHL among workers in Malaysia, varies across different industries and has been reported to range from 5.0% to 82.6%. NIHL has multiple contributing factors, including noise intensity, long-term exposure to daily noise, hearing protection devices and age. A review of these studies found varying percentages of individuals affected by each contributing factor. CONCLUSION: Occupational NIHL is a preventable health risk for workers across industries. Employers must adopt engineering and administrative controls (education and training) and provide personal hearing protectors to protect workers from noise.

Noise exposure of firefighters results in increased risk of hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can be prevented by the consistent use of hearing protection devices (HPDs). However, little is known about firefighters' perceptions and attitudes on NIHL and HPD use. The purposes of the study were (1) to identify common noise sources of fire fighting equipment and activities; and (2) to describe the attitudes and beliefs of firefighters concerning the importance of their hearing, occupational noise exposure, NIHL, and HPD use. A nonexperimental, descriptive focus group design was used to gather qualitative data from firefighters at two fire houses in southeast Michigan. The study identified sources of noise unique to fire fighting, such as driving fire/emergency trucks with sirens on; operating water pumps, saws, and other equipment; and shouting to communicate with civilians and fellow firefighters. Firefighters acknowledged the significance of good hearing in fire fighting service but perceived NIHL was unavoidable on the job and viewed it as a small risk compared with other hazards. HPDs were not used regularly because firefighters believed they interfered with the ability to hear commands during emergency conditions, interfered with other required safety equipment, and were generally forgotten when gearing up. Firefighters recognized the importance of hearing health and the benefit of a hearing conservation program, including annual training, and identified several topics that should be included in a training program. These findings will provide critical information in planning what type of program should be developed and carried out for the fire fighting population.

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Occupational exposure to noise and hearing thresholds among civilian aircraft maintenance workers

Currently available behavioral tools for the assessment of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) depend on the reliable cooperation of the subject. Furthermore, in workers' compensation cases, there is considerable financial gain to be had from exaggerating symptoms, such that accurate assessment of true hearing threshold levels is essential. An alternative objective physiologic tool for assessing NIHL is the auditory steady state response (ASSR) test, which combines frequency specificity with a high level of auditory stimulation, making it applicable for the evaluation of subjects with a moderate to severe deficit. The primary aim of the study was to assess the value of the multifrequency ASSR test in predicting the behavioral warble-tone audiogram in a large sample of young subjects with NIHL of varying severity or with normal hearing. The secondary goal was to assess suprathreshold ASSR growth functions in these two groups. The study group included 157 subjects regularly exposed to high levels of occupational noise, who attended a university-associated audiological clinic for evaluation of NIHL from 2009 through 2011. All underwent a behavioral audiogram, and on the basis of the findings, were divided into those with NIHL (108 subjects, 216 ears) or normal hearing (49 subjects, 98 ears). The accuracy of the ASSR threshold estimations for frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz was compared between groups, and the specificity and sensitivity of the ASSR test in differentiating ears with or without NIHL was calculated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Linear regression analysis was used to formulate an equation to predict the behavioral warble-tone audiogram at each test frequency using ASSR thresholds. Multifrequency ASSR amplitude growth as a function of stimulus intensity was compared between the NIHL and normal-hearing groups for 1000 Hz and 4000 Hz carrier frequencies. In the subjects with NIHL, ASSR thresholds to various frequencies were significantly and highly correlated with the behavioral warble-tone thresholds; Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 over the four frequencies tested. Differences between thresholds ranged from 10 to 13 dB. The configuration of the ASSR waveforms closely approximated the behavioral audiogram. The sensitivity for screening hearing thresholds was 92%; by frequency, sensitivity ranged between 92.7 and 98.4%, but specificity was lower, especially at the low frequencies. ASSR accurately predicted moderate and severe NIHL. The mean ASSR growth amplitude to increasing stimulus level for 1000 and 4000 Hz was significantly steeper in the NIHL than in the normal-hearing group, with no significant difference between frequencies. The ASSR test has a high sensitivity to detect moderate to severe hearing loss in subjects with NIHL. Its use can facilitate the early identification of noise-exposed workers with NIHL. It may also serve an important medico-legal function in cases of workers' compensation. The ASSR test is not, by itself, an appropriate tool for hearing screening in the general population.

Objective: To explore the effect of gene polymorphism on workers suffering from noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) . Methods: In May 2019, a case-control study was conducted to select noise exposed workers in five factories in Zhejiang Province from 2017 to 2018. The average hearing threshold of binaural high frequency (3, 4, 6 kHz) was >25 dB (A) as the NIHL group, and the hearing threshold of any language frequency (0.5, 1, 2 kHz) was ≤25 dB (A) as the non NIHL group, with 307 people in each group. The general demographic data, occupational history, pure tone audiometry results and oral swab mucosal samples of noise exposed workers were collected, and the DNA of oral mucosal cells was extracted. The relationship between genetic risk score (GRS) and NIHL was analyzed, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were genotyped, the relationship between genotype and NIHL was analyzed by logistic regression, and the relationship between haplotype and NIHL was analyzed by R language. Results: After adjusting for gender, age, education and working years, the risk of NIHL among workers carrying cysteine-aspartic acid protease 3 gene (CASP3) rs1049216 recessive model GG genotype, rs6948 recessive model TT genotype, NADPH oxidase 3 gene (NOX3) rs12195525 additive model GT genotype and dominant model TT+GT genotype decreased (P<0.05) , the risk of disease was higher in workers with AA genotype carrying cysteine-aspartic acid protease 7 gene (CASP7) rs12415607 additive model (P<0.05) . There was a strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) relationship between rs1049216 and rs6948 (D'>0.8) . Haplotype AT and GG composed of rs1049216-rs6948 increased the risk of NIHL (P<0.05) . The risk of NIHL increased with the increase of GRS (OR=2.69, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Genotype polymorphisms at rs1049216 and rs6948 (CASP3) , rs12195525 (NOX3) , rs12415607 (CASP7) may be associated with susceptibility to NIHL.

Prelude: Noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss in the military

Since noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of prevalent issues in the occupational settings, hearing protection device (HPD) has been widely used to reduce noise exposure levels and to prevent developing NIHL. This review study aimed to introduce several types of the HPD in terms of current trends, its variety and functions, and application. Including a brief history of the HPD, we explain its two types, i.e., passive and active functions, in the first part of main body. The passive HPD has a flat attenuation across the overall frequency range, whereas the active HPD effectively preserves communication components such as meaningful speech with low intensity stimuli while filtering out the high levels of noise. In the second part of the main body, we discuss some negative issues of hearing functions when users are wearing the HPD. In detail, the active HPD does not much degrade the hearing performance for speech detection/recognition and sound source localization compared to the passive HPD. Rather, reduced sound (or music) quality is improved with active one in general. In the final part, we mention that although various applications in the special fields such as factory, mining, army, airplane, and music have been demonstrated, the usage and awareness of HPD in occupational aspect may not follow its fast technological development. Furthermore, most people do not know about either importance or use method of HPD in the non-occupational setting. For these reasons, we conclude that hearing professionals have to access the latest trends of the HPD and to increase their knowledge on it, and thus they should provide the best HPD prescription for the public as well as employees who have to protect their ears from hazard noise impacts.

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common but absolutely preventable occupational diseases. One of the measures to prevent and control noise's harmful effects in the workplaces is the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) that workers do not often accept to use or do not use throughout the entire work shift. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of delegating the right to choose HPD to workers on the increase of the duration of using them. Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 60 male workers divided into two groups, intervention (n: 30) and control (n: 30), who were exposed to non-permissible sound levels during sampling. A questionnaire including BASNEF constructs was completed by both groups in two stages, ie, before intervention and 3 months after completion of the intervention delegating the right to choose HPD to workers. Durations of using HPD were recorded in two stages in intervention and control groups and compared. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS 22. Results: In intervention group, the number of workers who used HPDs full time was 0 (0%) before intervention and 16 (53.33%) after intervention. The duration of using HPDs significantly increased after intervention in intervention group than in control group. Conclusion: The intervention based on providing HPDs that are appropriate for the needs and wishes of workers and available as well as promoting their use in the work environment can persuade them to use such devices continuously.

In this study, the effects of gender, age, total working time (years), working time in the sector (years), working time in a noisy environment (months), smoking, having a noisy hobby and inadequate use of ear protection equipment on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) were evaluated in the forest sector. The study included 1477 workers, consisting of 1247 (84.4%) males and 230 (15.6%) females. The population was aged between 18 and 60. The initial phase of the study focused on comparing regression algorithms to determine if eight independent variables contribute to NIHL in workers. The multiple linear regression algorithm was deemed the most effective in this category, yielding an R2 value of 0.3079 when tested with a data size of 25%. The second phase of the study aimed to compare classification algorithms, exploring the degree of hearing loss, measured in dB, attributed to the same eight independent variables. The dependent variable for these algorithms was categorized as “NIHL present” or “NIHL absent”. The random forest algorithm emerged as the most effective classification method, yielding an accuracy of 75% when tested with a data size of 20%. The findings of this study can guide the implementation of engineering controls to reduce noise levels, administrative controls such as limiting exposure time, and the use of personal protective equipment like hearing protection devices.

Introduction: Musicians are exposed to music at high intensities and are at risk for developing noise- induced hearing loss (NIHL). Since hearing is so important to their career, they deserve special consideration. To avoid the deleterious effects of loud music, the professionals should be sensitized to the noise exposure and the use of strategies to prevent NIHL. The aim of the study is to determine the knowledge and attitude towards noise induced hearing disorders, and hearing conservative practices among professional musicians. Method: A KAP questionnaire was administered online to 136 professional musicians belonging to folk/ light music genre in Chennai. The participants were 115 males and 21 females, ranging in age from 18 to 75 years with the mean age of 29 (SD= 11). Results: The findings revealed that musicians were aware of the nature and cause of NIHL, but knowledge of NIHL prevention and treatment was limited to few. They had common misconceptions about the sources of harmful loud sounds, the effects of hearing loss, and hearing conservation strategies. Only a few participants reported to have used Ear Protective Devices (EPDs). Conclusion: Although musicians are aware of the risks of exposure to loud noise, they seldom use hearing protection. It is therefore vital to provide crucial information regarding NIHL and its prevention and promote musicians for better hearing preservation practices.

Integrating environmental factors and genetic variants in machine learning to assess occupational noise impact on health.