Assessment of Knowledge of Harmful Effects and Exposure to Recreational Music in College Students of Delhi: A Cross Sectional Exploratory Study

  • Neelima Gupta
  • Arun Sharma
  • P. P. Singh
  • Abhishek Goyal
  • Rahul Sao
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Exposure to loud sounds results in a mild to profound degree of temporary or permanent hearing loss. Though occupational noise exposure remains the most commonly identified cause of noise-induced hearing loss, potentially hazardous noise can be encountered during recreational activities. Unfortunately not much attention is being given to the increasing trend of prolonged exposure to noisy environment, in the younger generation of Indians. The purpose of our study was to know the knowledge of college students about the harmful effects of loud music, prevailing practices with regard to exposure to recreational music and the subjective effects that this exposure is causing if any. Cross Sectional survey of College Students (n = 940), from randomly selected colleges of Delhi University. Majority of students listened to music using music-enabled phones; earphones were preferred and 56.6 % participants listened to music on a loud volume. Effects experienced due to loud sound were headache (58 %), inability to concentrate (48 %), and ringing sensation in the ear (41.8 %). Only 2.7 % respondents used ear protection device in loud volume settings. Twenty-three percent respondents complained of transient decreased hearing and other effects after exposure to loud music. 83.8 % knew that loud sound has harmful effect on hearing but still only 2.7 % used protection device. The survey indicates that we need to generate more such epidemiological data and follow up studies on the high risk group; so as to be able to convincingly sensitize the Indian young generation to take care of their hearing and the policy makers to have more information and education campaigns for this preventable cause of deafness.

Keywords

Noise induced hearing loss Leisure music Recreational music 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by an Intramural grant from the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

References

  1. 1.
    Brookhouser PE, Worthington DW, Kelly WJ (1992) Noise induced hearing loss in children. Laryngoscope 102:645–655PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Ulrich RF, Pinheiro ML (1974) Temporary hearing losses in teen-agers attending repeated rock-and-roll sessions. Acta Otolaryngol 77:51–55PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Lee PC, Senders CW, Gantz BJ, Otto SR (1985) Transient sensorineural hearing loss after overuse of portable headphone cassette radios. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 93:622–625PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Razdan U, Sidhu TS (2000) Need for research on health hazards due to noise pollution in metropolitan India. J Indian Med Assoc 98(8):453–456PubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Consensus Conference (1990) Noise and hearing loss. JAMA 263(23):3185–3190CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Niskar AS, Kieszak SM, Holmes AE et al (2001) Estimated prevalence of noise-induced hearing threshold shifts among children 6 to 19 years of age: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994, United States. Pediatrics 108:40–43PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Ryberg J (2009) A national project to evaluate and reduce high sound pressure levels from music. Noise Health 11(i43):124Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Danhauer JL, Johnson CE, Byrd A, DeGood L, Meuel C, Pecile A, Koch LL (2009) Survey of college students on iPod use and hearing health. J Am Acad Audiol 20(1):5–27; quiz 83–4Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Kahari K, Aslund T, Olsson J (2011) Preferred sound levels of portable music players and listening habits among adults: a field study. Noise Health 13(50):9–15PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Vogel I, Brug J, Van der Ploeg CP, Raat H (2011) Adolescents risky MP3-player listening and its psychosocial correlates. Health Educ Res 26(2):254–264Google Scholar
  11. 11.
    Kumar A, Kuruvilla M, Alexander SA, Kiran C (2009) Output sound pressure levels of personal music systems and their effect on hearing. Noise Health 11:132–140PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Rekha T, Unnikrishnan B, Mithra P, Kumar N, Bukelo M, Ballala K (2011) Perceptions and practices regarding use of personal listening devices among medical students in coastal South India. Noise Health 13(4):329–332PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Vogel I, Verschuure H, van der Ploeg CP, Brug J, Raat H (2009) Adolescents and MP3 players: too many risks, too few precautions. Pediatrics 123(6):e953–e958PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Biassoni EC, Serra MR, Richter U et al (2005) Recreational noise exposure and its effects on the hearing of adolescents. Part II: development of hearing disorders. Int J Audiol 44:74–86PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Cassandro E, Chiarella G, Catalano M et al (2003) Changes in clinical and instrumental vestibular parameters following acute exposition to auditory stress. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 23(4):251–256PubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Bohlin MC, Erlandsson SI (2007) Risk behaviour and noise exposure among adolescents. Noise Health 9(36):55–63PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Mostafapour SP, Lahargoue K, Gates GA (1998) Noise induced hearing loss in young adults: the role of personal listening devices and other sources of leisure noise. Laryngoscope 108:1832–1839PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Torre P 3rd (2008) Young adults’ use and output level settings of personal music systems. Ear Hear 29(5):791–799PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Petrescu N (2008) Loud music listening. Mcgill J Med 11(2):169–176PubMedCentralPubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Rosanowski F, Eysholdt U, Hoppe U (2006) Influence of leisure-time noise on outer hair cell activity in medical students. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 80(1):25–31Google Scholar
  21. 21.
    Williams W, Beach E, Gilliver M. Clubbing (2010) The cumulative effect of noise exposure from attendance at dance clubs and night clubs on whole-of-life noise exposure. Noise Health 12(i48):155Google Scholar
  22. 22.
    Serra MR, Biassoni EC, Richter U et al (2005) Recreational noise exposure and its effects on the hearing of adolescents. Part I: an interdisciplinary long term study. Int J Audiol 44:65–73PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. 23.
    Bogoch II, House RA, Kudla I (2005) Perceptions about hearing protection and noise-induced hearing loss of attendees of rock concerts. Can J Public Health 96(1):69–72PubMedGoogle Scholar
  24. 24.
    Widen SE, Erlandsson SI (2004) Self-reported tinnitus and noise sensitivity among adolescents in Sweden. Noise Health 7(25):29–40PubMedGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Neelima Gupta
    • 1
    • 4
  • Arun Sharma
    • 2
  • P. P. Singh
    • 1
  • Abhishek Goyal
    • 3
  • Rahul Sao
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur HospitalDelhiIndia
  2. 2.Department of Preventive and Social MedicineUniversity College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur HospitalDelhiIndia
  3. 3.University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur HospitalDelhiIndia
  4. 4.DelhiIndia

Personalised recommendations