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. 2016 Oct;55(10):587-96.
doi: 10.1080/14992027.2016.1190871. Epub 2016 Jun 22.

Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children

Sara Båsjö  1   2 , Claes Möller  1 , Stephen Widén  1 , Göran Jutengren  3 , Kim Kähäri  4
Affiliations

Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children

Sara Båsjö et al. Int J Audiol. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: Investigate hearing function and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old Swedish children.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). A questionnaire was used to evaluate headphone listening habits, tinnitus, and hyperacusis.

Study sample: A total of 415 children aged nine years.

Results: The prevalence of a hearing threshold ≥20 dB HL at one or several frequencies was 53%, and the hearing thresholds at 6 and 8 kHz were higher than those at the low and mid frequencies. SOAEs were observed in 35% of the children, and the prevalence of tinnitus was 5.3%. No significant relationship between SOAE and tinnitus was found. Pure-tone audiometry showed poorer hearing thresholds in children with tinnitus and in children who regularly listened with headphones.

Conclusion: The present study of hearing, listening habits, and tinnitus in nine-year old children is, to our knowledge, the largest study so far. The main findings were that hearing thresholds in the right ear were poorer in children who used headphones than in children not using them, which could be interpreted as headphone listening may have negative consequences to children's hearing. Children with tinnitus showed poorer hearing thresholds compared to children without tinnitus.

Keywords: Children; SOAE; hearing loss; hearing threshold; listening habits; portable music players; tinnitus; tympanometry.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mean hearing thresholds for the whole sample.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
(a and b). Prevalence of a hearing threshold ≥20 dB HL at each frequency for ears with normal middle-ear function and ears with abnormal middle-ear function.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
(a and b). Mean hearing thresholds for ears with normal and abnormal middle-ear function.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Hearing thresholds for children with normal middle-ear function. The dotted lines show the hearing thresholds for children without tinnitus, and the straight lines show the thresholds for children with tinnitus.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Hearing thresholds for children with normal middle-ear function. The dotted lines show the hearing thresholds for children who do not listen with headphones, and the straight lines show the thresholds for children who do listen with headphones.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Comparison of hearing thresholds between different studies.
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