Filova, A.; Jurkovicova, J.; Hirosova, K.; Vondrova, D.; Filova, B.; Samohyl, M.; Babjakova, J.; Stofko, J.; Argalasova, L. Social Noise Exposure in a Sample of Slovak University Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2020, 17, 324.
Filova, A.; Jurkovicova, J.; Hirosova, K.; Vondrova, D.; Filova, B.; Samohyl, M.; Babjakova, J.; Stofko, J.; Argalasova, L. Social Noise Exposure in a Sample of Slovak University Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 324.
Filova, A.; Jurkovicova, J.; Hirosova, K.; Vondrova, D.; Filova, B.; Samohyl, M.; Babjakova, J.; Stofko, J.; Argalasova, L. Social Noise Exposure in a Sample of Slovak University Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2020, 17, 324.
Filova, A.; Jurkovicova, J.; Hirosova, K.; Vondrova, D.; Filova, B.; Samohyl, M.; Babjakova, J.; Stofko, J.; Argalasova, L. Social Noise Exposure in a Sample of Slovak University Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 324.
Abstract
Purpose: The study is aimed to quantify the effects of social noise (personal music players (PMP), high-intensity noise exposure events) and road traffic noise exposures in the sample of Slovak university students living and studying in Bratislava. Methods: There were 1,003 university students (306 males and 697 females, average age 23.13±2) enrolled in the study; 347 lived in the student housing facility exposed to road traffic noise (LAeq =67.6 dB) and 656 in the control one (LAeq =53.4 dB). Respondents completed a validated ICBEN 5-grade scale “Noise annoyance questionnaire”. The exposure to PMP was objectified by the conversion of the subjective evaluation of the volume setting and duration. With the cooperation of the ENT specialist, we arranged audiometric examinations on the pilot sample of 41 volunteers. Results: From the total sample of 1,003 students, 794 (79.16 %) of them reported the use of PMP in the course of the last week; average time of 285 minutes. There was a significant difference in PMP use between the exposed (85.59 %) and the control group (75.76 %) (p=0.01). Among PMP users 30.7 % exceeded the LAV (lower action value for industry LAeq,8h = 80 dB). On a pilot sample of volunteers (n=41) audiometry testing was performed indicating a hearing threshold shift at higher frequencies in 22% of subjects. Conclusions: The results of the study on a sample of young healthy individuals showed the importance of exposure to environmental noise from different sources (transportation, neighborhood, construction, entertainment facilities, etc.) as well as social noise and the need for prevention and intervention.
Keywords
social noise; auditory, non-auditory noise effects; personal music players; university students
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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