August 5, 2010 - A new study published online in the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research examined 189 urban college students' use of portable listening devices (PLDs) to determine if sound exposure from PLDs exceeded recommended limits. The study, entitled Noise Exposure Estimates of Urban MP3 Player Users, also examined demographic factors such as gender and mode of transportation to school, to determine variables that may influence students' listening levels.
The study was conducted on a New York City college campus, where students who were entering campus and using PLDs were recruited to participate in the study. The researchers measured free-field equivalent sound levels from the students' PLD headphones. In addition, they surveyed the students' typical PLD use to determine duration of use, as well as factors the researchers believed may influence PLD behavior.
The study concluded that the majority of students' exposures did exceed NIOSH's recommended exposure limits. The students' exposures were calculated based upon the measured free-field equivalent sound levels and the reported duration of use of the PLDs. Neither gender nor whether the students rode the subway to school influenced their PLD sound exposures in this study.
The authors of this study represent an interdisciplinary team with a broad array of research interests and expertise. They include: Sandra Levey, Ph.D., Lehman College of the City University of New York, whose recent research includes work in bilingualism and sound perception;Tania Levey, Ph.D., York College of the City University of New York who has done extensive research in the social sciences;and Brian J. Fligor, Sc.D., Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, an audiologist whose research interests include acquired hearing loss. His research credentials include an often-cited 2004 study on output levels of personal listening devices.
"This is the largest study of its kind to date, and the first to demonstrate a cohort who seem prone to listening at high levels for long periods of time", stated Dr. Fligor. "Previous studies have suggested a small but significant percentage exceed recommended exposure levels (RELs);over half of the 189 participants in this study exceeded that REL."
The results suggest that if indeed users' current listening behavior (level and duration) is representative of their PLD use for the next several years, a large number of them will have measurable noise induced hearing loss. The authors indicate that education to raise the awareness among urban MP3 player users is necessary to combat the trend suggested in these results.
Citation:
Levey, S., Levey, T., & Fligor, B.J. (2010). Noise exposure estimates of urban MP3 player users. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. Published online August 5, 2010.
doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2010/09-0283)
