Culture and Demographics Impact Hearing Risks From Music Devices
We recommend you check out this fascinating study, published in the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research. The study investigated how using portable listening devices (PLDs) can impact hearing health in a diverse urban setting, and it’s co-authored by our very own Dr. Brian Fligor! Conducted in New York City, researchers measured how loud and how long 160 adults used their PLDs, taking into account their ethnic, educational, and musical backgrounds.
The findings? Many participants were cranking up the volume way past safe limits, risking (even inviting) noise-induced hearing loss. African American participants had the highest average listening levels, showing how demographic factors play a role in listening habits.
The takeaway? We need culturally sensitive strategies to help reduce the risk of hearing loss from PLD use. While ethnicity and age were key factors in higher noise exposure, things like gender, education, and device type didn’t make a big difference. This study suggests public health efforts should consider these cultural and demographic differences to better protect hearing health.
Curious for more details? Learn more about the study HERE: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24686749/
Prioritizing your hearing health is as simple as contacting your local hearing experts at Tobias & Battite to schedule an appointment.