/Objectives: Tinnitus becomes more common with age, and age-related hearing loss accounts for an increasing share of cases in later life, whereas modifiable behavioural factors may contribute relatively more in midlife. Population-based evidence linking sitting time-a construct distinct from physical inactivity-to tinnitus is limited and has not accounted for psychological and sleep-related correlates.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions; audiologists cannot yet recommend reduced sedentary time as a tinnitus intervention, but the finding adds to lifestyle-factor research worth monitoring.
Identifying modifiable lifestyle factors like sedentary behavior as potential tinnitus correlates could open new avenues for prevention counseling in audiology practice.
- 01Cross-sectional analysis used KNHANES 2014–2018 data from midlife Korean women aged 40–64.
- 02Higher daily sedentary time was associated with increased odds of reporting current tinnitus.
- 03Study cannot establish causation due to its cross-sectional design.
- 04Findings are specific to middle-aged women and may not generalize to other demographics.
- 05Sedentary behavior is a potentially modifiable lifestyle factor relevant to hearing health counseling.
Greater sedentary time is associated with higher prevalence of current tinnitus in midlife Korean women.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42793632
- DOI
- 10.3390/healthcare14183094.
- Journal
- Healthcare
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 3
- Population
- Midlife Korean women aged 40–64 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2014–2018
- Intervention
- Sedentary time (self-reported daily sitting duration)
- Comparator
- Lower sedentary time categories
Primary outcomes
Presence of current tinnitus (self-reported)