Exploring primary characteristics of occupational hearing loss in female manufacturing workers: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

As occupational hearing loss (OHL) is a concern among women, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Individual noise exposure energy and temporal structure were quantified using the 8 h continuous equivalent A-weighted sound pressure level (LAeq,8h) and kurtosis (β). High-frequency noise-induced hearing loss (HFNIHL) and noise-induced hearing impairment (NIHI) were calculated. The HFNIHL and NIHI prevalences were 13.45% and 13.20%, respectively. Hearing loss was symmetrically distributed, with the most significant threshold shifts occurring at 4.0 kHz. The OHL prevalence was significantly higher in individuals exposed to non-steady rather than steady noise. A marked increase in OHL prevalence was observed among women exposed to non-steady noise for 3 to 10 years. The steady noise group exhibited an increase, followed by a plateau or decline. Key influencing factors for women's OHL were LAeq,8h, age, and kurtosis, with odds ratios (ORs) ranked as follows: ORLAeq,8h > ORAge > ORKurtosis. After adjusting for kurtosis in LAeq,8h, the model fit (Akaike Information Criterion) of the dose–response relationship improved significantly. These findings suggested that female manufacturing workers were at high risk of OHL with significant clinical characteristics. Noise kurtosis could accelerate and exacerbate women's OHL development. Kurtosis adjustment for noise level could effectively evaluate women's OHL.