Table 2.
2013–2014 year prevalence of hearing-related symptoms and risk ratios, among female preschool teachers compared to randomly selected women as population controls, in relation to age
| Prevalence (%) | Risk ratio (RR)a (preschool/control) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool cohort (total n = 4718)b | Population controls (total n = 4122)b | Crude | Adjustedc | |||||||
| n/total n | % | 95% CI | n/total n | % | 95% CI | RR | 95% CI | RR | 95% CI | |
| Hearing loss | ||||||||||
| 24–29 | 24/286 | 8 | (5–12) | 26/384 | 7 | (4–9) | 1.2 | (0.7–2.1) | 1.4 | (0.8–2.5) |
| 30–39 | 119/1114 | 11 | (9–13) | 57/725 | 8 | (6–10) | 1.4 | (1.0–1.8) | 1.7 | (1.2–2.4) |
| 40–49 | 269/1579 | 17 | (15–19) | 122/1048 | 12 | (10–14) | 1.5 | (1.2–1.8) | 1.7 | (1.4–2.1) |
| 50–59 | 356/1398 | 25 | (23–28) | 211/1147 | 18 | (16–21) | 1.4 | (1.2–1.6) | 1.6 | (1.3–1.9) |
| 60–65 | 101/293 | 34 | (29–40) | 172/749 | 23 | (20–26) | 1.5 | (1.2–1.8) | 1.8 | (1.4–2.3) |
| All | 869/4670 | 19 | (17–20) | 588/4053 | 15 | (13–16) | 1.3 | (1.2–1.4) | 1.6 | (1.5–1.8) |
| Tinnitus | ||||||||||
| 24–29 | 30/288 | 10 | (7–14) | 48/387 | 12 | (9–16) | 0.8 | (0.6–1.3) | 1.0 | (0.6–1.8) |
| 30–39 | 145/1122 | 13 | (11–15) | 60/726 | 8 | (6–10) | 1.6 | (1.2–2.1) | 1.6 | (1.2–2.2) |
| 40–49 | 273/1580 | 17 | (15–19) | 114/1052 | 11 | (9–13) | 1.6 | (1.3–2.0) | 1.9 | (1.5–2.4) |
| 50–59 | 332/1397 | 24 | (22–26) | 183/1155 | 16 | (14–18) | 1.5 | (1.3–1.8) | 1.6 | (1.4–2.0) |
| 60–65 | 78/297 | 26 | (21–31) | 150/753 | 20 | (17–23) | 1.3 | (1.0–1.7) | 1.8 | (1.4–2.5) |
| All | 858/4684 | 18 | (17–19) | 555/4073 | 14 | (13–15) | 1.3 | (1.2–1.5) | 1.7 | (1.5–1.9) |
| Difficulty perceiving speech | ||||||||||
| 24–29 | 94/285 | 33 | (28–38) | 72/375 | 19 | (15–23) | 1.7 | (1.3–2.2) | 1.8 | (1.4–2.5) |
| 30–39 | 429/1108 | 39 | (36–42) | 145/717 | 20 | (17–23) | 1.9 | (1.6–2.3) | 2.0 | (1.7–2.4) |
| 40–49 | 745/1576 | 47 | (45–50) | 253/1040 | 24 | (22–27) | 1.9 | (1.7–2.2) | 2.0 | (1.8–2.3) |
| 50–59 | 732/1380 | 53 | (50–56) | 354/1137 | 31 | (28–34) | 1.7 | (1.5–1.9) | 1.7 | (1.5–1.9) |
| 60–65 | 144/280 | 49 | (43–54) | 229/713 | 32 | (29–36) | 1.5 | (1.3–1.8) | 1.6 | (1.3–1.9) |
| All | 2136/4629 | 46 | (45–48) | 1053/3982 | 26 | (25–28) | 1.7 | (1.6–1.9) | 1.9 | (1.7–2.0) |
| Hyperacusis | ||||||||||
| 24–29 | 77/287 | 27 | (22–32) | 62/386 | 16 | (12–20) | 1.7 | (1.2–2.3) | 1.7 | (1.2–2.4) |
| 30–39 | 420/1121 | 37 | (35–40) | 144/730 | 20 | (17–23) | 1.9 | (1.6–2.2) | 2.0 | (1.7–2.5) |
| 40–49 | 649/1585 | 41 | (39–43) | 198/1053 | 19 | (16–21) | 2.2 | (1.9–2.5) | 2.3 | (2.0–2.7) |
| 50–59 | 582/1402 | 42 | (39–44) | 213/1162 | 18 | (16–21) | 2.3 | (2.0–2.6) | 2.5 | (2.1–2.9) |
| 60–65 | 102/299 | 34 | (29–39) | 134/752 | 18 | (15–21) | 1.9 | (1.5–2.4) | 2.3 | (1.7–3.1) |
| All | 1830/4694 | 39 | (38–40) | 751/4083 | 18 | (17–20) | 2.1 | (2.0–2.3) | 2.3 | (2.1–2.5) |
| Sound-induced auditory fatigue | ||||||||||
| 24–29 | 205/288 | 71 | (66–76) | 119/385 | 31 | (26–36) | 2.3 | (2.0–2.7) | 1.2 | (1.1–1.3) |
| 30–39 | 805/1126 | 71 | (69–74) | 232/724 | 32 | (29–35) | 2.2 | (2.0–2.5) | 2.4 | (2.1–2.7) |
| 40–49 | 1140/1585 | 72 | (70–74) | 340/1047 | 32 | (30–35) | 2.2 | (2.0–2.4) | 2.3 | (2.1–2.5) |
| 50–59 | 1002/1403 | 71 | (69–74) | 373/1155 | 32 | (30–35) | 2.2 | (2.0–2.4) | 1.5 | (1.4–1.6) |
| 60–65 | 201/295 | 68 | (63–73) | 239/735 | 33 | (29–36) | 2.1 | (1.8–2.4) | 2.2 | (1.9–2.6) |
| All | 3353/4697 | 71 | (70–73) | 1303/4046 | 32 | (31–34) | 2.2 | (2.1–2.3) | 2.4 | (2.2–2.5) |
aBold indicates significant risk ratio estimate from log-binomial regression (p < 0.05)
bTable shows data for subjects with non-missing data
cAdjusted for age (except for the age-stratified RR), education and income combined, smoking, hearing protection at work and leisure noise index