Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Aug 15;8(8):e70674.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070674. eCollection 2013.

Noise exposure and hearing impairment among Chinese restaurant workers and entertainment employees in Hong Kong

Xiang Qian Lao  1 , Ignatius Tak Sun Yu, Dennis Kin Kwok Au, Yuk Lan Chiu, Claudie Chiu Yi Wong, Tze Wai Wong
Affiliations

Noise exposure and hearing impairment among Chinese restaurant workers and entertainment employees in Hong Kong

Xiang Qian Lao et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major concern in the non-manufacturing industries. This study aimed to investigate the occupational noise exposure and the NIHL among Chinese restaurant workers and entertainment employees working in the service industry in Hong Kong.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved a total of 1,670 participants. Among them, 937 were randomly selected from the workers of Chinese restaurants and 733 were selected from workers in three entertainment sectors: radio and television stations; cultural performance halls or auditoria of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD); and karaoke bars. Noise exposure levels were measured in the sampled restaurants and entertainment sectors. Each participant received an audiometric screening test. Those who were found to have abnormalities were required to take another diagnostic test in the health center. The "Klockhoff digit" method was used to classify NIHL in the present study.

Results: The main source of noise inside restaurants was the stoves. The mean hearing thresholds showed a typical dip at 3 to 6 KHz and a substantial proportion (23.7%) of the workers fulfilled the criteria for presumptive NIHL. For entertainment sectors, employees in radio and television stations generally had higher exposure levels than those in the halls or auditoria of the LCSD and karaoke bars. The mean hearing thresholds showed a typical dip at 6 KHz and a substantial proportion of the employees fulfilled the criteria for presumptive NIHL (38.6%, 95%CI: 35.1-42.1%). Being male, older, and having longer service and daily alcohol consumption were associated with noise-induced hearing impairment both in restaurant workers and entertainment employees.

Conclusion: Excessive noise exposure is common in the Chinese restaurant and entertainment industries and a substantial proportion of restaurant workers and entertainment employees suffer from NIHL. Comprehensive hearing conservation programs should be introduced to the service industry in Hong Kong.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mean hearing thresholds by gender among participants.
Panel A: Chinese restaurant workers (n = 973). Panel B: entertainment employees (n = 733).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Atherley G, Noble W (1985) Occupational deafness: the continuing challenge of early German and Scottish research. Am J Ind Med 8: 101–117. - PubMed
    1. Verbeek JH, Kateman E, Morata TC, Dreschler W, Sorgdrager B (2009) Interventions to prevent occupational noise induced hearing loss. Cochrane Database Syst Rev CD006396. - PubMed
    1. Rabinowitz PM, Galusha D, Slade MD, Dixon-Ernst C, Sircar KD, et al. (2006) Audiogram notches in noise-exposed workers. Ear Hear 27: 742–750. - PubMed
    1. Nelson DI, Nelson RY, Concha-Barrientos M, Fingerhut M (2005) The global burden of occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Am J Ind Med 48: 446–458. - PubMed
    1. Agrawal Y, Platz EA, Niparko JK (2008) Prevalence of hearing loss and differences by demographic characteristics among US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004. Arch Intern Med 168: 1522–1530. - PubMed

Publication types