Prevalence and incidence of hearing

impairment in workers exposed to

occupational noise.
Ramón Hernández Villoria
Verónica Calero
Gleidys Tovar

Centro Clínico de Audición y Lenguaje.

Caracas, Venezuela
2013.

XXXII World Congress of Audiology

Brisbane, Australia May 05th-07th 2014
People with hearing impairment

• ≈ 800,000 moderate to profound

• ≈ 402.800 moderate to profound on working
ages.
Calculing prevalence and incidence

• 4 companies:
– 2 printer labels or papers for commercial
packages. (PLP companies)
– 2 drugs development and packaging for
distribution. (DD companies)
• 350 workers:
• 85 of each PLP company
• 90 of each DD company
Calculing prevalence and incidence

Company Workers studied Total classified ears

PLP A 85 170

PLP B 85 170

DD A 90 180

DD B 90 180
Klockhoff (1973)
Hearing impairment classification system

NORMAL
MILD
ACOUSTIC TRAUMA ADVANCED
MILD
PATOLOGICAL NOISE INDUCED MODERATE
HEARING LOSS
ADVANCED
ANOTHER CAUSE HEARING LOSS (NOT
NOISE RELATED)
Results for year 2012 (PLP company A)
based upon 170 ears

85 workers, 69,4% men; 30.6% women

Average age: 41,4 y.o. (ranged from 18 to 61)

Average in actual workplace: 12,6 y. (ranged from 2 to 24)

Workers with at least one impaired ear: 52 (61.17%)

Results for year 2012 (PLP company A)
based upon 170 ears

13% 4% 3%

38%
n
9% mat
aat
10% mnihl
monihl
anihl

23% achl
Results for year 2012 (PLP company B)
based upon 170 ears

85 workers, 56,4% men; 43.6% women

Average age: 39,2 y.o. (ranged from 19 to 64)

Average in actual workplace: 11,9 y. (ranged from 1 to 32)

Workers with at least one impaired ear: 50 (58,82%)

Results for year 2012 (PLP company B)
based upon 170 ears

12% 4% 2%

42% n
8%
mat
aat
11% mnihl
monihl
anihl
21% achl
Results for year 2012 (DD company A)
based upon 180 ears

90 workers, 88.8% men; 11.2% women

Average age: 33.3 y.o. (ranged from 18 to 48)

Average in actual workplace: 9.9 y. (ranged from 1 to 32)

Workers with at least one impaired ear: 42 (46,6%)

Results for year 2012 (DD company A)
based upon 180 ears

2% 1%

7%

16%
n
mat
53%
7% aat
mnihl
monihl
14% anihl
achl
Results for year 2012 (DD company B)
based upon 180 ears

90 workers, 84.4% men; 15.6% women

Average age: 32.8 y.o. (ranged from 20 to 54)

Average in actual workplace: 8.4 y. (ranged from 2 to 23)

Workers with at least one impaired ear: 53 (58,8%)

Results for year 2012 (DD company B)
based upon 180 ears

8%

3%
9%
41% n
mat
18% aat
mnihl

7% monihl

14% anihl
achl
2013 Rates for incidence

Company n of workers with Incidence %

a new
impairment
PLP company A 2 2.35
PLP company B 1 1.17
DD company A 3 3.33
DD company B 2 1.8
Conclusions