English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Objectives  To investigate the effects of smoking on hearing loss among workers exposed to occupational noise.    Methods  From the results of a special workers health examination performed in 2011, we enrolled 8,543 subjects exposed to occupational noise and reviewed the findings. Using self-reported questionnaires and health examination results, we collected data on age, smoking status, disease status, height, weight, and biochemistry and pure tone audiometry findings. We divided the workers into 3 groups according to smoking status (non-smoker, ex-smoker, current smoker). Current smokers (n = 3,593) were divided into 4 groups according to smoking amount (0.05–9.9, 10–19.9, 20–29.9, ≥30 pack-years). We analyzed the data to compare hearing thresholds between smoking statuses using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) after controlling for confounder effects.    Results  According to ANCOVA, the hearing thresholds of current smokers at 2 k, 3 k, and 4 kHz were significantly higher than that of the other groups. Multiple logistic regression for smoking status (reference: non-smokers) showed that the adjusted odds ratios of current smokers were 1.291 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.055–1.580), 1.180 (95% CI: 1.007–1.383), 1.295 (95% CI: 1.125–1.491), and 1.321 (95% CI: 1.157–1.507) at 1 k, 2 k, 3 k, and 4 kHz, respectively. Based on smoking amount, the adjusted odds ratios were 1.562 (95% CI: 1.013–2.408) and 1.643 (95% CI: 1.023–2.640) for the 10–19.9 and ≥30 pack-years group, respectively, at 1 kHz (reference: 0.05–9.9 pack-years). At 2 kHz, the adjusted odds ratios were increased statistically significantly with smoking amount for all groups. At all frequencies tested, the hearing thresholds of noise-exposed workers were significantly influenced by current smoking, in particular, the increase of hearing loss at low frequencies according to smoking amount was more prevalent.    Conclusions  Current smoking significantly influenced hearing loss at all frequencies in workers exposed to occupational noise, and heavier smoking influenced low-frequency hearing loss more greatly. There was a dose–response relationship between smoking amount and low-frequency hearing thresholds; however, this was not observed for high-frequency hearing thresholds. Therefore, well-designed prospective studies are needed to clarify the effects of smoking on the degree of hearing loss.

Relationship of cigarette smoking and hearing loss in workers exposed to occupational noise