Self-report and long-term field measures of MP3 player use: how accurate is self-report?
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the usage patterns of portable listening device (PLD) listeners, and the relationships between self-report measures and long-term dosimetry measures of listening habits.


METHODS
This study used a descriptive correlational design.


METHODS
Participants (N = 52) were 18-29 year old men and women who completed surveys. A randomly assigned subset (N = 24) of participants had their listening monitored by dosimetry for one week.


RESULTS
Median weekly noise doses reported and measured through dosimetry were low (9-93%), but 14.3% of participants reported exceeding a 100% noise dose weekly. When measured by dosimetry, 16.7% of participants exceeded a 100% noise dose weekly. The self-report question that best predicted the dosimetry-measured dose asked participants to report listening duration and usual listening level on a visual-analog scale.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reports a novel dosimetry system that can provide accurate measures of PLD use over time. When not feasible, though, the self-report question described could provide a useful research or clinical tool to estimate exposure from PLD use. Among the participants in this study, a small but substantial percentage of PLD users incurred exposure from PLD use alone that increases their risk of music-induced hearing loss.
SLHS Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0409, USA. portnuff@colorado.edu
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Portnuff
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Fligor
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Arehart
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000592:standards*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception; D055539:MP3-Player; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult