Football match spectator sound exposure and effect on hearing: a pretest-post-test study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine (i) noise exposure levels of spectators at a FIFA 2010 designated training stadium during a premier soccer league match; and (ii) changes in auditory functioning after the match.


METHODS
This was a one-group pretest-post-test design of football spectators attending a premier soccer league match at a designated FIFA 2010 training stadium in Gauteng, South Africa. Individual spectator noise exposure for the duration of the football match and post-match changes in hearing thresholds were measured with pure-tone audiometry, and cochlear functioning was measured with distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOAEs).


RESULTS
The average sound exposure level during the match was 100.5 LAeq (dBA), with peak intensities averaging 140.4 dB(C). A significant (p=0.005) deterioration of post-match hearing thresholds was evident at 2 000 Hz, and post-match DPOAE amplitudes were significantly reduced at 1,266, 3,163 and 5,063 Hz (p=0.011, 0.019, 0.013, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure levels exceeded limits of permissible average and peak sound levels. Significant changes in post-match hearing thresholds and cochlear responsiveness highlight the possible risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Public awareness and personal hearing protection should be prioritized as preventive measures.
Swanepoel
De Wet
de W
Department of Communication Pathology, University of Pretoria and Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas, USA. dewet.swanepoel@up.ac.za
Hall
James W
JW
D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer; D055815:Young Adult