Hearing loss among American teens has increased significantly over the last 15 years with one in five adolescents now suffering from the kind of hearing impairment typical of a 50 or 60-year-old, a study has said.
According to researchers at Harvard School of Public Health and the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) here, there has been a 30 per cent increase in prevalence of any hearing loss in 12-19 year old Americans in 2005-2006 as compared to data from a 1988-1994 survey.
In addition, there has been a 70 per cent increase in "mild or worse hearing loss" in US adolescents in the last 15 years. Researchers found that currently, one out of five adolescents has some evidence of hearing loss, while one out of 20 has at least mild hearing loss.
These teens would have trouble hearing a normal whisper, whistling, certain musical notes and high-pitched voices, lead study author Josef Shargorodsky, a physician-investigator at the Channing Laboratory at BWH, said.
"What makes hearing loss in adolescents even more concerning is previous research showing that teens underestimate the importance of hearing and the dangers of noise exposure, and don't make protecting their hearing a priority," Shargorodsky said.
The study did not list the main reason for increase in hearing loss among teens. However, researchers are examining whether mobile phones and music through earphones are to blame.
"Further research is needed to better understand the causes of hearing loss, why it's increasing in prevalence and why it affects some populations more than others," said Shargorodsky.
Researchers also found that hearing loss is more prevalent in adolescent males than females and more common in adolescents living below the US-designated poverty level.
About 22 per cent of boys and 17 per cent of girls showed some hearing loss in 2005-06, while nearly 24 per cent teens from families living below the poverty line showed some hearing impairment, compared with 18 per cent of teens from more affluent families.
The researchers analysed data on 12 to 19-year-olds from a nationwide health survey. They compared hearing loss in nearly 3,000 kids tested from 1988-94 to nearly 1,800 kids tested over 2005-06.
Shargorodsky added hearing loss ranked low as a health concern among teens, even though most admitted to experiencing ringing in the ears or some hearing impairment after attending loud concerts and clubs.
"Hearing loss is a common and under-recognised public health problem that can influence a child’s educational, psychological and social development.
"As hearing loss itself is invisible and often underestimated, researchers hope this study will help raise awareness in both teens and adults of the importance of hearing conservation and encourage efforts to prevent hearing loss," Shargorodsky said.