title: Increase in use of protective earplugs by Rock and Roll concert attendees when provided for free at concert venues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of hearing protection use among attendees of Rock and Roll concerts at baseline and in concerts where earplugs are provided for free at concert venue entrances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six concerts performed at two music venues in Toronto, Canada were evaluated. Study personnel observed and recorded the use of hearing protection at three concerts where no earplugs were distributed, and three concerts where earplugs were provided for free at the concert venue entrance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 955 individuals over the age of 18 were observed at six concerts. Six hundred and thirty-seven individuals (64% male) were observed at concerts where no earplugs were provided, and 318 individuals (68% male) were observed at concerts where free earplugs were provided.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated a significant increase in hearing protection usage at concerts where earplugs were provided for free at the concert venue entrance, odds ratio 7.27 (95% CI: 3.24-16.30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The provision of free earplugs at concert venues may be a simple and inexpensive intervention that could be a component of a larger public health campaign to prevent non-occupational noise-induced hearing loss.
authors.affiliation: a * Department of Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Jieun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: a * Department of Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smukler
authors.affiliation: a * Department of Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: a * Department of Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.|b Department of Occupational and Environmental Health , St. Michael's Hospital , Toronto , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: House
authors.affiliation: a * Department of Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.|c Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Isaac I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Bogoch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004430:Ear Protective Devices / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009864:Ontario; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Earplugs; NIHL; Rock and Roll; concert; music; noise-induced hearing loss