Examination of hearing status and the effects of noise on health of individuals working in noisy and non-noisy workplaces in İstanbul

Abstract Background The objective of our study is to compare the hearing thresholds, noise sensitivity levels, and perceived health status of individuals working in Taksim and Avcılar, and to evaluate the effects of noise on individual health using both objective and subjective criteria. Method Our study was prospectively designed and conducted with two groups. Sociodemographic data collection form, SF-36 questionnaire, and the Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS) were used for data collection. Pure tone air conduction thresholds between 500 and 4000 Hz were assessed for hearing. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of WNSS ( p > 0.05). In the SF-36 questionnaire, the scores of those working in Taksim were significantly lower than those working in Avcılar in all subscales ( p < 0.05). In the hearing assessment, hearing thresholds were worse for employees working in Taksim at all frequencies ( p < 0.001). Similarly, noise levels in offices in Taksim were significantly higher than in Avcılar ( p < 0.001). Conclusion The findings from our study reveal that individuals exposed to high levels of environmental noise experience significant deterioration in their hearing thresholds and have significantly lower quality of life scores.