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Abstract
Objective: Identify the distribution of typical noise levels present in daily life and identify factors associated with average sound levels. Design: This was an observational study. Study sample: Participants (N = 286) were 20 to 68 year old men and women, drawn from the general population of Kalamazoo County, Michigan. A total of 73 000 person-hours of noise monitoring were conducted. Results: Median overall daily average levels were 79 and 77 dBLeqA,8,equiv , with average levels exceeding EPA recommended levels for 70% of participants. Median levels were similar between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and varied little across days of the week. Gender, occupational classification, and history of occupational noise exposure were related to average noise levels, but age, educational attainment, and non-occupational noise exposures were not. Conclusions: A large portion of the general population is exposed to noise levels that could result in long-term adverse effects on hearing. Gender and occupation were most strongly related to exposure, though most participants in this study had occupations that are not conventionally considered noisy.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Chas Pudrith, Lydia Baldwin, and Emma Trabue for their assistance with data collection for this study. We also thank Peter B. Shaw (NIOSH Taft Laboratories, Cincinnati, Ohio) for his many helpful insights regarding data analyses for the current project. This project was supported by CDC/NIOSH contract number 211-2009-31218. Portions of this work were presented at the National Hearing Conservation Association Annual Conference, Mesa, USA, February, 2011.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.