Leisure noise exposure and hearing outcomes among Canadians aged 6 to 79 years

Objective: To examine the association between individual and cumulative leisure noise exposure in addition to acceptable yearly exposure (AYE) and hearing outcomes among a nationally representative sample of Canadians. Design: Audiometry, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and in-person questionnaires were used to evaluate hearing and leisure noise exposure across age, sex, and household income/education level. High-risk cumulative leisure noise exposure was defined as 85 dBA or greater for 40 h or more per week, with AYE calculations also based on this occupational limit. Study sample: A randomised sample of 10,460 respondents, aged 6-79, completed questionnaires and hearing evaluations between 2012 and 2015. Results: Among 50-79 year olds, high-risk cumulative leisure noise was associated with increased odds of a notch while high exposure to farming/construction equipment noise was associated with hearing loss, notches and absent DPOAEs. No associations with hearing loss were found however, non-significant tendencies observed included higher mean hearing thresholds, notches and hearing loss odds. Conclusion: Educational outreach and monitoring of hearing among young and middle-aged populations exposed to hazardous leisure noise would be beneficial.