Influences of age, gender, and parents' educational level in knowledge, behavior and preferences regarding noise, from childhood to adolescence.
Exposure to loud sound during leisure activities for long periods of time is an important area to implement preventive health education, especially among young people. The aim was to identify the relations among awareness about the damaging effects of loud levels of sounds, previous exposures do loud sounds, preferences-related to sound levels and knowledge about hearing protection with age, gender, and their parent's educational level among children. Prospective cross-sectional. Seven hundred and forty students (5-16 years old) and 610 parents participated in the study. Chi-square test, Fisher exact test and linear regression. About 86.5% of the children consider that loud sounds damage the ears and 53.7% dislike noisy places. Children were previously exposed to parties and concerts with loud music, Mardi Gras, firecrackers and loud music at home or in the car and loud music with earphones. About 18.4% of the younger children could select the volume of the music, versus 65.3% of the older ones. Children have poor information about hearing protection and do not have hearing protection device. Knowledge about the risks related to exposures to loud sounds and about strategies to protect their hearing increases with age, but preference for loud sounds and exposures to it increases too. Gender and parents' instructional level have little influence on the studied variables. Many of the children's recreational activities are noisy. It is possible that the tendency of increasing preference for loud sounds with age might be a result of a learned behavior.
Department of Human Development and Rehabilitation, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Keila Alessandra Baraldi
KA
Knobel
Maria Cecília Marconi Pinheiro
MC
Lima
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004430:Ear Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires