A Study of Risk Factors for Occupational Noise-induced Hearing Loss

• Main Authors: Chao-Cheng Huang, 黃昭誠
• Other Authors: Ching-Ying Yeh
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/39406206217093427171

碩士 === 臺北醫學大學 === 公共衛生學系 === 93 === Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the occupational diseases with high prevalence. The more influential is that once people get NIHL, they can’t be recovered and cured, but preventable. The specific aim of this study is to explore risk factors of NIHL, and to investigate the interaction effect of smoking and organic solvents exposure.A total of 975 workers who was included in this study. These workers who do the pure tone air conduction audiometry by Beltone 120 hearing inspector from January to September in 2004 in a teaching hospital at south Taiwan. A structural questionnaire for collecting the personal data and occupational exposure history were also performed.The results showed that (1) after adjusted confounding factors, the workers who exposed to noise have higher risk of hearing loss than who didn’t. The odds ratio is 1.6 (95%C.I.=1.20~2.13). (2) after adjusted confounding factors, smoking workers have higher risk of hearing loss than nonsmokers. The odds ratio is 1.28 (95%C.I.=1.00~ 1.17). (3) the subjects who smoked and exposed to noise would result in additive synergy (additive synergy index is 2.40) and multiplicative synergy in hearing loss. (4) exposed to organic solvents and noise would conduce additive synergy (additive synergy index is 1.24) and multiplicative synergy in hearing loss. It is recommended that government should take smoking and organic solvents exposure into consideration as part of the “Hearing Protection Program” to diminish the possible auditory damage of workers.