To Örebro University

Concerns about noise-induced hearing loss among young people are increasing as young people frequently engage in music listening for extended periods of time and/or at high sound levels. The aim of this thesis was to investigate associations between music listening and hearing health among young people. Study I is a systematic review investigating associations between hearing function and recreational noise (focus on music exposure) among 10 – 30 year olds. Study II is a qualitative study exploring the meaning of music in the daily life of participant’s (15 – 19 – year – olds) and how young people understand hearing-related risks. Study III is a cross-sectional study examining associations between measured headphone sound pressure levels (SPLs) with hearing thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) among 10 – 20 year olds. Study IV is a cross-sectional study investigating how attitudes to noise/loud music and auditory symptoms (tinnitus, sound sensitivity etc.,) relate to hearing-and sound level measurements among 10 – 20 year olds. Study I showed that some previous research has found associations between music exposure with worse extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds and reduced DPOAEs. However, consistent evidence of long-term effects remains limited, partly due to differing methods of exposure assessment across studies. Study II showed that music is an integral part of the participants’ daily life and valuable for emotional regulation. Despite an awareness of the potential risks, the benefits of music outweighed any concerns about hearing health. Study III showed that older participants (age ≥15 years) had some slightly elevated EHF thresholds and reduced DPOAEs, but no statistically significant associations were found between measured SPLs and hearing outcomes. Study IV showed that more positive attitudes to noise/loud music were significantly associated with higher measured SPLs and longer daily listening durations (self-reported). Most auditory symptoms were not associated with hearing-or sound level measurements, except greater need for auditory recovery, which was associated with reduced DPOAEs. The overall results point to the importance of prevention efforts as potentially risky music listening behaviors may indicate early auditory changes related to noise exposure.