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Tinnitus Archive > Data Sets > 2 > Audiological History > Index of Noise Exposure

Index of Noise Exposure

Data Set 2: Gender Based Differences in Tinnitus Related Data Summaries

Overall Sample Number: 873

Number of patients responding to this item: 795

Format of the Questionnaire Item: Format is shown below the histogram.

Method for computing Noise Exposure Index (see details of Method below).

INDEX OF NOISE EXPOSURE
Males Females All
N Column % N Column % N Column %
-1.50 to -1.01 49 8.5 128 58.2 177 22.3
-1.00 to -0.51 80 13.9 59 26.8 139 17.5
-0.50 to -0.01 92 16.0 21 9.5 113 14.2
0.00 to 0.49 106 18.4 8 3.6 114 14.3
0.50 to 0.99 104 18.1 2 0.9 106 13.3
1.00 to 1.49 69 12.0 2 0.9 71 8.9
1.50 to 1.99 42 7.3 -- -- 42 5.3
2.00 to 2.49 28 4.9 -- -- 28 3.5
More than/equal to 2.50 5 0.9 -- -- 5 0.6
Column Total 575 100.0 220 100.0 795 100.0
F(1,793) = 379.8, p < .0001)
Index of Noise Exposure
Format of the Questionnaire Item: View Items In Context? 1, 2, 3, 4       View Coding In Context?

HAVE YOU WORKED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF OCCUPATIONS? [] NO [] YES
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| (IF YES, CHECK ALL THAT APPLY, EVEN IF VERY BRIEF)             APPROX   |
|                                                      STARTING  LENGTH   |
|                                                        AGE    OF TIME   |
| [] LOGGING, LUMBER INDUSTRY                          ________ ________  |
| [] MINING                                            ________ ________  |
| [] FARMING                                           ________ ________  |
| [] FACTORY:_______________________________________   ________ ________  |
|                       INDICATE TYPE                                     |
| [] CANNERY                                           ________ ________  |
| [] PRINTING                                          ________ ________  |
| [] TRANSPORTATION (TRUCK, BOAT, PLANE, ETC.)         ________ ________  |
| [] CONSTRUCTION: _________________________________   ________ ________  |
|                       INDICATE TYPE                                     |
| [] POLICE, FIRE DEPT.                                ________ ________  |
| [] LOUD MUSIC   (1) AMPLIFIED ( ROCK BAND, OTHER )   ________ ________  |
|                 (2) LIVE MUSIC                       ________ ________  |
|  [] ANY OTHER TYPES OF NOISY OCCUPATION (DESCRIBE)                      |
|     ______________________________________________   ________ ________  |
|     ______________________________________________   ________ ________  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

HAVE YOU BEEN IN MILITARY SERVICE?      [] NO      [] YES
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| (IF YES, CHECK ALL THAT APPLY, EVEN IF VERY BRIEF)             APPROX   |
|                                                      STARTING  LENGTH   |
|                                                        AGE    OF TIME   |
| [] ARTILLERY                                         ________ ________  |
| [] TANKS, OTHER HEAVY EQUIPMENT                      ________ ________  |
| [] PLANES, HELICOPTERS                               ________ ________  |
| [] SMALL ARMS   (1) BASIC TRAINING                   ________ ________  |
|                 (2) AFTER BASIC                      ________ ________  |
| [] EXPLOSION                                         ________ ________  |
| [] OTHER:_________________________________________   ________ ________  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

HAVE YOU BEEN EXPOSED TO NOISE DURING RECREATIONAL OR LEISURE-TIME 
ACTIVITIES?       [] NO         [] YES
  IF YES:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|     (PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY TO YOU IN THE LIST BELOW,              |
|   EVEN IF YOU DID THEM ONLY A FEW TIMES OR A LONG TIME AGO)    APPROX   |
|                                                      STARTING  LENGTH   |
|                                                        AGE    OF TIME   |
| [] GUNFIRE _______________________________________   ________ ________  |
|                    INDICATE TYPE(S)                                     |
| [] POWER TOOLS ___________________________________   ________ ________  |
|                    INDICATE TYPE(S)                                     |
| [] ENGINES (BOAT, AUTO, MOTORCYCLE, SKIMOBILE)       ________ ________  |
| [] LOUD MUSIC                                        ________ ________  |
| [] OTHER:_________________________________________   ________ ________  |
|                       DESCRIBE                                          |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

HAVE YOU UNDERGONE ANY ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE TO SUDDEN, INTENSE NOISE?
        [] NO     [] YES
IF YES:__________________________________  _______________  _______________
                TYPE OF NOISE               WHICH EAR OR     YOUR AGE THEN
                                              SIDE OF HEAD

Method for computing Noise Exposure Index:

  • Calculation of raw Noise Exposure values
    (1) Patients listed the various types and durations of noise exposures they had experienced; (2) based on detailed interviewing, the examining audiologist rated the probable significance of each such exposure (1=low, 2=moderate, 3=high); (3) each patient's significance ratings were summed, yielding a Total Noise Exposure score for each patient.

  • Statistical transformation of raw Noise Exposure scores
    (1) The mean and standard deviation of the Noise Exposure scores for the entire group of patients were calculated; (2) each patient's score was then standardized in terms of its distance above or below the mean, in standard deviation units (z-scores); (3) the resulting z-scores are the Noise Exposure Index values that are shown in the Table below.

  • Interpretation of Noise Exposure Index values
    (1) It can be seen that nearly all females had Noise Exposure Index values below the group mean (i.e. little or no noise exposure); (2) the majority of males had Noise Exposure Index values at or above the group mean (i.e. substantial noise exposure).

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