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Occupational noise exposure, psychosocial working conditions and the risk of tinnitus

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of occupational noise (current and cumulative doses) and psychosocial work factors (psychological demands and decision latitude) on tinnitus occurrence among workers, using objective and non-self-reported exposure measures to prevent reporting bias.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from a Danish survey from 2009 to 2010 that included 534 workers from children day care units and 10 manufacturing trades. Associations between risk factors (current noise exposure, cumulative noise exposure and psychosocial working conditions) and tinnitus were analyzed with logistic regression.

Results

We found no statistically significant associations between either current [OR 0.95 (95% CI 0.89; 1.01)] or cumulative [OR 0.93 (95% CI 0.81; 1.06)] occupational noise exposure and tinnitus. Likewise, results for psychosocial working conditions showed no statistically significant association between work place decision latitude [OR 1.06 (95% CI 0.94; 1.13)] or psychological demands [OR 1.07 (95% CI 0.90; 1.26)] and tinnitus.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that current Danish occupational noise levels (in combination with relevant noise protection) are not associated with tinnitus. Also, results indicated that the psychosocial working conditions we observed in this cohort of mainly industrial workers were not associated with tinnitus. Therefore, psychosocial working conditions comparable to those observed in this study are probably not relevant to take into account in the evaluation of workers presenting with tinnitus.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Danish Work Environment Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44 Building 2C, 8000, Åarhus C, Denmark

    Thomas Winther Frederiksen, Zara Ann Stokholm, Jesper Medom Vestergaard & Henrik Albert Kolstad

  2. Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Regionshospitalet Holstebro, 7500, Holstebro, Denmark

    Thomas Winther Frederiksen

  3. Department of Public Health, Section for Epidemiology, Aarhus University, 8000, Åarhus C, Denmark

    Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen

  4. National Research Centre for the Working Environment, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

    Åse Marie Hansen, Søren Peter Lund & Jesper Kristiansen

  5. Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 1014, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Matias Brødsgaard Grynderup & Åse Marie Hansen

  6. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark

    Jens Peter Bonde

Authors
  1. Thomas Winther Frederiksen
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  2. Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen
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Correspondence to Thomas Winther Frederiksen.

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Frederiksen, T.W., Ramlau-Hansen, C.H., Stokholm, Z.A. et al. Occupational noise exposure, psychosocial working conditions and the risk of tinnitus. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 90, 217–225 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1189-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1189-4

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