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- Fredriksson, Sofie, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Preschool teachers have an increased risk of hearing-related symptoms and report more occupational noise exposure compared to randomly selected women
- 2016
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Ingår i: Occupational Health: Think Globally, Act Locally, EPICOH 2016, September 4–7, 2016, Barcelona, Spain. Occupational & Environmental Medicine. ; 73:A191
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Noise-induced hearing disorder has been thoroughly studied among workers in industry-like settings, but less so in female-dominated occupations. In Sweden, noise-related occupational disease among women are reported most frequently in the education sector. We analysed questionnaires from 4,932 women with preschool teacher’s degree who have worked in preschool compared to 5,065 randomly selected women without preschool work-history (response rate 51% vs. 38%). The age range was 24–71 in both cohorts (mean 46 [SD 11] among preschool teachers and 51 [11] among controls). Prevalence and prevalence ratio in age-strata and Mantel-Haenszel pooled risk were calculated for hearing-related symptoms. Noise exposure was compared between the cohorts. A 5% level of significance was applied. Occupational noise exposure and noise annoyance were significantly more common among teachers than controls: 75% vs.31% and 69% vs.26%, respectively. Still, significantly fewer teachers used hearing protection: 3% vs. 4%. Prevalence of hearing-related symptoms was much higher among teachers than controls: sound-induced auditory fatigue (71% [95% CI: 70–72] vs. 31% [30–32]), difficulty perceiving speech (46% [45–47] vs. 26% [25–27] and hyperacusis (38% [37–39] vs. 18% [17–19] and slightly higher for hearing loss (19% [18–20] vs. 17% [6–18] and tinnitus (19% [18–20] vs. 15% [14–16]. Teachers had a twofold risk of sound-induced auditory fatigue (PR-MH 2.2 [95% CI: 2.1–2.3] and hyperacusis (PR-MH 2.1 [1.9–2.2] compared to controls, when adjusted for age. The risk was also increased for difficulty perceiving speech (PR-MH 1.8 [1.7–1.9], tinnitus (PR-MH 1.4 [1.3–1.6] and hearing loss (PR-MH 1.4 [1.3–1.5]. Mean age of onset was significantly lower among teachers for all symptoms, except for hyperacusis (p = 0.902). Leisure-noise was significantly more common among controls. Family history of hearing loss did not differ (p = 0.411). The study is the first to show that preschool teachers have an increased risk of hearing-related symptoms, which may be caused by the work environment.
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| 2. |
- Fredriksson, Sofie, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Working in preschool increases the risk of hearing-related symptoms: a cohort study among Swedish women
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 92:8, s. 1179-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2019, The Author(s). Purpose: To assess whether working in preschools increases the risk of hearing-related symptoms and whether age, occupational noise, and stressful working conditions affect the risk. Methods: Questionnaire data on hearing-related symptoms were analysed in women aged 24–65 (4718 preschool teachers, and 4122 randomly selected general population controls). Prevalence and risk ratio (RR) of self-reported hearing loss, tinnitus, difficulty perceiving speech, hyperacusis and sound-induced auditory fatigue were assessed by comparing the cohorts in relation to age and self-reported occupational noise and stressful working conditions (effort–reward imbalance and emotional demands). RR was calculated using log-binomial regression models adjusted for age, education, income, smoking, hearing protection, and leisure noise. Incidence rates and incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated for retrospectively reported onset of all symptoms except sound-induced auditory fatigue. Results: Compared to the controls, preschool teachers had overall more than twofold RR of sound-induced auditory fatigue (RR 2.4, 95% confidence interval 2.2–2.5) and hyperacusis (RR 2.3, 2.1–2.5) and almost twofold for difficulty perceiving speech (RR 1.9, 1.7–2.0). Preschool teachers had a threefold IRR of hyperacusis (IRR 3.1, 2.8–3.4) and twofold for difficulty perceiving speech (IRR 2.4, 2.2–2.6). Significantly although slightly less increased RR and IRR were observed for hearing loss and tinnitus. RR and IRR were generally still increased for preschool teachers when stratified by age and occupational exposure to noise and stress. Conclusions: This large cohort study showed that working as preschool teacher increases the risk of self-reported hearing-related symptoms, indicating a need of preventative measures.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Båsjö, Sara, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1499-2027 .- 1708-8186. ; 55:10, s. 587-596
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Investigate hearing function and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old Swedish children. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted and included otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). A questionnaire was used to evaluate headphone listening habits, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. Study sample: A total of 415 children aged nine years. Results: The prevalence of a hearing threshold20dB HL at one or several frequencies was 53%, and the hearing thresholds at 6 and 8kHz were higher than those at the low and mid frequencies. SOAEs were observed in 35% of the children, and the prevalence of tinnitus was 5.3%. No significant relationship between SOAE and tinnitus was found. Pure-tone audiometry showed poorer hearing thresholds in children with tinnitus and in children who regularly listened with headphones. Conclusion: The present study of hearing, listening habits, and tinnitus in nine-year old children is, to our knowledge, the largest study so far. The main findings were that hearing thresholds in the right ear were poorer in children who used headphones than in children not using them, which could be interpreted as headphone listening may have negative consequences to children's hearing. Children with tinnitus showed poorer hearing thresholds compared to children without tinnitus.
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| 5. |
- Fredriksson, Sofie, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Validating self-reporting of hearing-related symptoms against pure-tone audiometry,otoacoustic emission, and speech audiometry
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1499-2027 .- 1708-8186. ; 55:8, s. 454-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To validate self-reported hearing-related symptoms among personnel exposed to moderately high occupational noise levels at an obstetrics clinic. Design: Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated for questionnaire items assessing hearing loss, tinnitus, sound sensitivity, poor hearing, difficulty perceiving speech, and sound-induced auditory fatigue. Hearing disorder was diagnosed by pure-tone audiometry, distortion Product otoacoustic emissions, and HINT (Hearing In Noise Test). Study sample: Fifty-five female obstetrics personnel aged 22–63 participated; including 26 subjects reporting hearing loss, poor hearing, tinnitus, or sound sensitivity, and 29 randomly selected subjects who did not report these symptoms. Results: The questionnaire item assessing sound-induced auditory fatigue had the best combination of sensitivity 85% (95% CIs 56 to 100%)and specificity 70% (95% CIs 55 to 84%) for hearing disorder diagnosed by audiometry or otoacoustic emission. Of those reporting sound-induced auditory fatigue 71% were predicted to have disorder diagnosed by otoacoustic emission. Participants reporting any hearing-related symptom had slightly worse measured hearing. Conclusions: We suggest including sound-induced auditory fatigue in questionnaires for identification of hearing disorder among Healthcare personnel, though larger studies are warranted for precise estimates of diagnostic performance. Also, more specific and accurate hearing tests are needed to diagnose mild hearing disorder.
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| 6. |
- Hoff, Maria, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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A Swedish cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Tinnitus Functional Index
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1499-2027 .- 1708-8186. ; 56, s. 277-285
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2016 British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society.Objective: The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) is a recent self-report instrument for tinnitus with potential advantages over other existing instruments, including a demonstrated high responsiveness. The objectives of this study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the TFI into Swedish and to investigate its validity and reliability. Design: The development of the Swedish version (TFI-SE) followed published guidelines on cross-cultural adaptation of health questionnaires. Validity and reliability was investigated by correlating responses on the TFI-SE with other tinnitus measures [Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and visual analogue scale (VAS)] and a scale measuring anxiety and depression (HADS). Study sample: Consecutively recruited tinnitus patients (n = 100) from four Swedish clinics completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the sample was 51 years (SD =17). Results: The internal consistency of the TFI-SE was good (α = 0.95) and the test–retest reliability was high (ICC =0.93). Our results supported the eight-factor structure proposed for the original TFI, and a high correlation between the TFI-SE and the THI (r = 0.8; p < 0.01) and lower correlations between the TFI-SE and the HADS-D (r = 0.60; p < 0.01) and HADS-A (r = 0.59; p < 0.01) confirmed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions: We found that the Swedish translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the TFI is valid and reliable for use with adult tinnitus patients.
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| 7. |
- Malmberg, Milijana, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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A randomized, controlled trial evaluating the short- and long-term effects of an internet-based aural rehabilitation program for hearing aid users implemented in a general clinical practice
- 2016
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Ingår i: HEAL 2016 - HEARING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN. 2-4 Juni 2016, Cernobbio, Lake Como - Italy..
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aural rehabilitation aims to improve communication for people with hearing impairment. Education is widely regarded as an integral part of rehabilitation, but the effect of the delivery method of an educational program on the experience of hearing problems has rarely been investigated in controlled trials. Internet as a complement to aural rehabilitation has been tested in different studies with promising results. However, until now the internet has not been applied clinically as a part of an aural rehabilitation, focusing on hearing aid users with persistent self-reported hearing problems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an internet-based aural rehabilitation for hearing aid users from a clinical population. The eligibility criteria: patients who were 20–80 years old and who had conductive or sensorineural hearing loss of a mild to moderate degree, i.e., 20–60 dB HL pure-tone average (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz), who had completed a hearing aid fitting 3 months before the study began, who had residual self-reported hearing problems (The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly ≥20 points), and who provided an informed consent to participate. 74 participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. The intervention group followed a five-week program that consisted of reading material, home training assignments, online and telephone interaction with an audiologist, and participation in a discussion forum. The control group only had access to reading material. The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Communication Strategies Scale were used to measure the outcomes of this study; and were recorded before and directly after the intervention as well as 6 months post-intervention. The results support the clinical application of an internet-based aural rehabilitation for hearing aid users. The results will be presented.
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| 9. |
- Malmberg, Milijana, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating the short-term and long-term effects of an internet-based aural rehabilitation programme for hearing aid users in general clinical practice : a randomised controlled trial.
- 2017
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 7:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Guided internet-based intervention beyond hearing aid (HA) fitting has been shown to be efficacious in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, internet interventions have rarely been applied clinically as a part of regular aural rehabilitation (AR). Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of internet-based AR for HA users from a clinical population.OUTCOME MEASURES: The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) was used as the primary outcome measure, and the Communication Strategies Scale (CSS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used as secondary outcome measures. All questionnaires were administered before and directly after the intervention and at 6 months postintervention.METHODS: We used a parallel group design (RCT). The data were collected in 2013-2014 at three different clinics. Seventy-four HA users were randomly assigned to receive either full internet-based AR (intervention group, n=37) or one element of the internet-based AR (control group, n=37).RESULTS: Data were analysed following the intention-to-treat principle. Each group showed improved HHIE scores over time and did not differ significantly from each other. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement compared with the control group for the CSS total and the non-verbal subscale scores. The intervention group and control group were also subdivided into two age groups: 20-59 years and 60-80 years. Significantly better improvement on the CSS total and non-verbal subscale scores was found in the older group compared with the younger participants.CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that participants in an internet-based intervention applied in general clinical practice showed improved self-reported communication skills compared with a control group. Receiving a full intervention was not more effective in improving self-reported hearing problems than receiving just one element of the internet-based intervention.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial is registered at ClinicalTrals.gov, NCT01837550; results.
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| 10. |
- Malmberg, Milijana, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of an Internet-based aural rehabilitation (IAR) program for hearing aid users : a qualitative study
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal of Audiology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1499-2027 .- 1708-8186. ; 57:8, s. 570-576
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Internet interventions for hearing aid (HA) users have been shown to be effective in helping persons with hearing problems. As earlier research refers to objective data on these effects, little is known about how participants experience the Internet interventions subjectively. The aim of the present study was to explore participants' experiences of an Internet-based aural rehabilitation (IAR) program for HA-users, and to explore the possible subjective benefits of such a program. Design: A qualitative exploratory design was implemented involving semi-structured telephone interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using content analysis. Study sample: Interviews were conducted with 20 participants (9 men and 11 women) who had completed an IAR program for HA-users. The participants were 57-81 years old and had used HAs for 2-25 years. Results: The results are organised in three main categories: general experiences associated with participating in the program, knowledge obtained from the program and perceived impact of taking part in the program. Conclusions: The overall results indicate positive experiences of the IAR program, and an overreaching theme of increased self-esteem was identified. The findings provide some valuable information for developers of future IAR programs.
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