Table 1.
Hearing and use of hearing protection.
| Intervention (T1 only) N (%) | Control N (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| USE OF HEARING PROTECTION | ||
| Do you use ear protection aids (ear plugs/noise-reducing headphones)… | ||
| …while practizing alone (89 Intervention, 33 Control) | ||
| Never/Seldom | 80 (89.9%) | 30 (90.9%) |
| Sometimes/Often/Always | 9 (10.1%) | 3 (9.1%) |
| …at rehearsals with other players (89 I, 33 C) | ||
| Never/Seldom | 71 (79.8%) | 23 (69.7%) |
| Sometimes/Often/Always | 18 (20.2%) | 10 (30.3%) |
| …at performances (my own) (89 I, 33 C) | ||
| Never/Seldom | 82 (92.1%) | 29 (87.9%) |
| Sometimes/Often/Always | 7 (7.9%) | 4 (12.1%) |
| …at other people's performances (90 I, 33 C) | ||
| Never/Seldom | 73 (81.1%) | 21 (63.6%) |
| Sometimes/Often/Always | 17 (18.9%) | 11 (36.4%) |
| Use of hearing protectors (39 I users, 21 C users) | ||
| I got used to wearing them right away | 22 (56.4%) | 7 (33.3%) |
| It took me weeks/months/years to get used to them | 6 (15.4%) | 7 (33.3%) |
| I didn't get used to them, but I use them anyway | 7 (17.9%) | 4 (19.0%) |
| I didn't get used to them, so I stopped using them | 4 (10.25%) | 3 (14.3%) |
| I have never used them | 51 | 11 |
| Type of ear protection (37 I users, 20 C users) | ||
| Single use soft ear-plugs | 10 (27%) | 4 (20%) |
| Reusable (more expensive) soft ear plugs | 26 (70.3%) | 14 (70%) |
| Personally tailored, custom-made ear plugs | 1 (2.7%) | 2 (10%) |
| While using your ear plugs, did you encounter any of the following difficulties?a 56 I, 38 C) | ||
| The ear plugs hindered my own performance | 9 (16.1%) | 11 (33.3%) |
| The ear plugs decreased my ability to hear the other player | 15 (26.8%) | 15 (45.5%) |
| Ear plugs were uncomfortable | 10 (17.9%) | 4 (12.1%) |
| Ear plugs were difficult to put into ears | 12 (21.4%) | 4 (12.1%) |
| Ear plugs made me feel dizzy | 2 (7.1%) | 0 |
| Ear plugs caused a pressure sensation in my ear | 8 (14.3%) | 4 (12.1%) |
| If your instrument is suitable for playing with mute (muffler), how often do you use it on your instrument? (40 I, 18 C) | ||
| Never/Seldom | 29 (72.5%) | 14 (77.8%) |
| Often/Always | 11 (17.5%) | 4 (22.2%) |
| HEARING ISSUES | ||
| Do you have tinnitus? (88 I, 33 C) YES | 7 (7.95%) | 7 (21.2%) |
| Do you experience hyperacusis? (86 I, 33 C) YES | 5 (5.8%) | 5 (15.15%) |
| Do you experience distortion? (80 I, 33 C) YES | 1 (1.25%) | 0 |
| Do you experience diplacusis? (80 I, 33 C) YES | 0 | 0 |
| When was your hearing last checked? (66 I, 32 C) | ||
| I don't know | 19 (28.8%) | 4 (12.5%) |
| I have never had a hearing test | 18 (27.3%) | 10 (31.3%) |
| Over 10 years ago | 5 (7.6%) | 3 (9.4%) |
| 6–10 years ago | 9 (13.6%) | 2 (6.3%) |
| 4–5 years ago | 3 (4.5%) | 3 (9.4%) |
| 1–3 years ago | 6 (9.1%) | 3 (9.4%) |
| In the last 12 months | 6 (9.1%) | 7 (21.9%) |
| When your hearing was checked, were you told that you have hearing loss? (40 I, 26 C) | ||
| Yes | 4 (10%) | 0 |
| No | 29 (72.5%) | 19 (73.1%) |
| Cannot say | 7 (17.5%) | 7 (26.9%) |
aRespondents could choose more than one option.