title: Effect of Cigarette Smoking and Passive Smoking on Hearing Impairment: Data from a Population-Based Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of both active and passive smoking on the prevalence of the hearing impairment and the hearing thresholds in different age groups through the analysis of data collected from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional epidemiological study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The KNHANES is an ongoing population study that started in 1998. We included a total of 12,935 participants aged ≥19 years in the KNHANES, from 2010 to 2012, in the present study. Pure-tone audiometric (PTA) testing was conducted and the frequencies tested were 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 kHz. Smoking status was categorized into three groups; current smoking group, passive smoking group and non-smoking group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the current smoking group, the prevalence of speech-frequency bilateral hearing impairment was increased in ages of 40-69, and the rate of high frequency bilateral hearing impairment was elevated in ages of 30-79. When we investigated the impact of smoking on hearing thresholds, we found that the current smoking group had significantly increased hearing thresholds compared to the passive smoking group and non-smoking groups, across all ages in both speech-relevant and high frequencies. The passive smoking group did not have an elevated prevalence of either speech-frequency bilateral hearing impairment or high frequency bilateral hearing impairment, except in ages of 40s. However, the passive smoking group had higher hearing thresholds than the non-smoking group in the 30s and 40s age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current smoking was associated with hearing impairment in both speech-relevant frequency and high frequency across all ages. However, except in the ages of 40s, passive smoking was not related to hearing impairment in either speech-relevant or high frequencies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Namhyung
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ryou
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013060:Speech; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution