Bottom Line: People who attended an outdoor music festival who did not use earplugs, used alcohol and/or drugs, and were male were more likely to experience temporary hearing loss, JAMA Network announced in a press release.
Why The Research Is Interesting: During the past two decades, the frequency of hearing loss among young people has increased and going to music concerts, clubs, and festivals may be part of the reason. Noise-induced hearing loss because of recreational noise exposure may be reduced by using earplugs.
Who and When: 51 adults who attended an outdoor music festival in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in September 2015
What (Study Measures): Music festival visit for 4.5 hours (intervention); temporary hearing loss (outcome)
How (Study Design): A secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Veronique J. C. Kraaijenga, MD, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, and coauthors
Results: Factors associated with temporary hearing loss:
Study Limitations: The inability to detect hidden hearing loss in study participants.
Study Conclusions:
Original Paper: Kraaijenga VJC, van Munster JJCM, van Zanten GA. Association of behavior with noise-induced hearing loss among attendees of an outdoor music festival: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. April 19, 2018. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2677777
Source: JAMA Network, JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
