Personal listening device usage, leisure noise exposure, hearing protection usage and hearing at standard frequencies: a longitudinal study from child/adolescence to young adulthood

To compare personal listening device (PLD) listening behaviours, leisure noise exposure, audiometric outcomes, hearing protection (HP) usage and self-reported hearing loss (HL) symptoms at Time 1: 2009/2010 and Time 2: 2022/2023. Mean hearing thresholds (HTs), pure-tone average HL prevalence, PLD volume levels, durations, earbud/headphone tightness, and sex among matched pairs, at Time 1 and 2, were compared.

Audiologists working with adolescents and young adults should monitor noise exposure habits longitudinally; if this study confirms hearing threshold shifts tied to device use, it strengthens counselling on safe listening — but clinical guidance changes should await full results and effect sizes.

Longitudinal data on noise exposure trajectories from childhood to young adulthood are scarce; this study could provide the strongest prospective evidence yet linking personal listening device habits to early audiometric changes in a key demographic.

1. 01Longitudinal design tracked participants from child/adolescence to young adulthood — a relatively rare study design for noise-induced hearing risk.
2. 02Measured personal listening device use, leisure noise exposure, and hearing protection behaviours over time.
3. 03Audiometric outcomes assessed at standard frequencies to detect subclinical threshold shifts.
4. 04Findings have direct relevance to WHO safe listening guidelines and public hearing health policy.
5. 05Study population represents the age group most at risk from recreational noise exposure.

PMID

42400132

DOI

10.1080/14992027.2026.2678286.

Journal

International Journal of Audiology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Children/adolescents followed into young adulthood

Intervention

Personal listening device use and leisure noise exposure (observational tracking)