Table 3.
Factors significantly associated with tinnitus symptoms (ringing, whistling, or buzzing in ears) among NYC transit riders, N = 756
| Variable | More than half of the time to always | About half to never | OR (95 % CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transit use | ||||
| Heavy | 11.3 % (20) | 88.7 % (157) | 2.5 (1.10–5.63) | 0.024 |
| Light | 4.9 % (9) | 95.1 % (176) | ||
| Noisy leisure activities | ||||
| High risk | 23.5 % (12) | 76.5 % (39) | 3.2 (1.59–6.43) | 0.001 |
| Low risk | 8.8 % (59) | 91.2 % (612) | ||
| Hearing protection use | ||||
| Sometimes/frequent/always | 16.8 % (16) | 83.2 % (79) | 3.4 (1.78–6.38) | <0.001 |
| Rare/never | 5.7 % (34) | 94.3 % (565) | ||
| Hearing rating | ||||
| Fair/poor | 11.6 % (34) | 88.4 % (258) | 3.1 (1.71–5.69) | <0.001 |
| Good | 4.1 % (17) | 95.9 % (402) | ||
| Others complain about hearing | ||||
| Yes | 20.7 % (35) | 79.3 % (134) | 7.7 (4.25–14.08) | <0.001 |
| No | 3.3 % (18) | 96.7 % (533) | ||
| Prior testing for hearing loss | ||||
| Yes | 12.3 % (38) | 87.7 % (272) | 3.5 (1.84–6.54) | <0.001 |
| No | 3.9 % (14) | 96.1 % (348) | ||
| Physician diagnosed hearing loss | ||||
| Yes | 31.3 % (21) | 68.7 % (46) | 9.0 (4.77–16.91) | <0.001 |
| No | 4.8 % (30) | 95.2 % (590) | ||
Numbers may vary because of missing values