Military and leisure-time noise exposure and hearing thresholds of Finnish conscripts.
This study presents an evaluation of the total cumulative noise exposure of Finnish conscripts (N = 416) during military service. All of the conscripts underwent a hearing screening and filled out a noise exposure questionnaire at the beginning and end of their military service. Eighty-nine percent of the conscripts were exposed weekly to military noise of over 85 dBA during the service. Eighteen percent of the conscripts had already reached at the end of their military service a cumulative noise dose corresponding to noise exposure of 85 dB for 40 years. During military service, permanent hearing loss of > 20 dB in the frequency range of 0.5 to 8 kHz increased from 19 to 27% among the conscripts.
Jokitulppo
Jaana
J
Akukon Consulting Engineers, Ltd., Kornetintie 4A, FI-00380 Helsinki, Finland.
Toivonen
Markku
M
Pääkkönen
Rauno
R
Savolainen
Seppo
S
Björk
Erkki
E
Lehtomäki
Kyösti
K
D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires