[Hearing loss in workers in the ceramics industry: a profile of the damage assessed by a longitudinal study].
Over the period 1980-1990, 2024 workers in ceramic plants in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy were evaluated for exposure to noise and hearing loss. Data collected by the National Health Service Local of Occupational and Preventive Medicine Units were used. In a relatively young population (34.8 years mean age, 8.98 years s.d.) exposed for not too long to > 90 dBA noise levels (87.2 for less than 4 years) a statistically significant effect of exposure was found only on the audiometric frequency of 6 kHz (95% confidence interval for mean hearing loss for 1 year exposure to > 90 dBA: 0.05-0.72 dB). An initial isolated loss at the audiometric frequency of 6 kHz was found to be significantly associated with (was a prognostic indicator of) a subsequent impairment at 4 kHz.
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Istituto di Statistica Medica e Biometria, Università degli Studi, Milano.
Ferri
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Merluzzi
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Paltrinieri
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001299:Audiometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002516:Ceramics; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution
Perdita uditiva dei lavoratori del comparto ceramica: profilo di danno valutato mediante studio longitudinale.