Table 1.
Characteristics of male and female workers exposed to industrial noise (total n = 2280)
| Variables | Males (n = 1140) | Females (n = 1140) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean ± SD | 35.0 ± 8.4 | 35.0 ± 8.4 | 0.996 |
| Cumulative noise exposure, mean ± SD | 92.9 ± 8.8 | 92.9 ± 8.8 | 0.920 |
| Body mass index, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| Normal | 643 (56.4) | 758 (66.5) | |
| Overweight | 374 (32.8) | 268 (23.5) | |
| Obese | 83 (7.3) | 38 (3.3) | |
| Hearing protective device use, n (%) | 0.028 | ||
| < 4 h per day | 462 (40.5) | 411 (36.1) | |
| >= 4 h per day | 678 (59.5) | 729 (63.9) | |
| Community noise exposure, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| No | 714 (62.6) | 820 (71.9) | |
| Yes | 426 (37.4) | 320 (28.1) | |
| Personal earphone use, n (%) | 0.001 | ||
| < 2 h per day | 830 (72.8) | 897 (78.7) | |
| >= 2 h per day | 310 (27.2) | 243 (21.3) | |
| Smoking, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| < 10 cigarettes per day | 674 (59.1) | 1132 (99.3) | |
| >= 10 cigarettes per day | 466 (40.9) | 8 (0.7) | |
| Alcohol consumption, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| < 50 g alcohol per day | 793 (69.6) | 1116 (97.9) | |
| >= 50 g alcohol per day | 347 (30.4) | 24 (2.1) | |
| Hearing difficulty, n (%) | 0.780 | ||
| Never | 441 (38.7) | 439 (38.5) | |
| Sometimes | 472 (41.4) | 461 (40.4) | |
| Often | 227 (19.9) | 240 (21.1) | |
| Tinnitus, n (%) | 0.307 | ||
| No | 804 (70.5) | 827 (72.5) | |
| Yes | 336 (29.5) | 313 (27.5) | |
| Low-frequency hearing loss, n (%) | 0.010 | ||
| No | 1041 (91.3) | 1074 (94.2) | |
| Yes | 99 (8.7) | 66 (5.8) | |
| High-frequency hearing loss, n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| No | 749 (65.7) | 983 (86.2) | |
| Yes | 391 (34.3) | 157 (13.8) | |
Males and females were initially matched for age and noise exposure level