Trends and burden of occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Türkiye: evidence from the national occupational disease registry

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is one of the most common and preventable occupational diseases worldwide. This study aimed to provide a national epidemiological analysis of ONIHL in Türkiye over a 12-year period. This descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using official data from the Social Security Institution (SSI) of Türkiye. All ONIHL cases formally recognised by the SSI between 2013 and 2024 were included. Poisson regression was used to assess temporal trends in annual rates of newly recognised ONIHL cases, and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. ONIHL was the third most frequently recognised occupational disease in Türkiye, accounting for 6.4% of all SSI-recognised occupational disease cases. During the study period, 484 ONIHL cases were recognised, including 459 males (95%) and 25 females (5%). The overall mean annual rate of newly recognised cases per 1,000,000 compulsory insured workers was 2.72, with corresponding rates of 3.69 among males and 0.46 among females. The annual rate of newly recognised ONIHL cases peaked in 2022. Poisson regression indicated that the annual rate increased by approximately 14% among males (IRR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06–1.22, p < 0.001) and 13% in the overall population (IRR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05–1.20, p < 0.001). Among females, the estimated annual rate also increased by approximately 13% per year (IRR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01–1.27, p = 0.038). The rates of recognised ONIHL cases observed in Türkiye appear lower than expected. Enhancing diagnostic and reporting systems may improve case identification and inform the development of evidence-based preventive occupational health policies in Türkiye.