The Noise Level Measurements of Children’s Sound Books

Abstract

Purpose: It was intended to measure the sound intensity of children's sound books and to compare them with the standards of Korea and the International Standards Organization (ISO).Methods: The loudness of 15 children’s sound books was measured at a distance of 25 cm (child’s arm length), and 2.5 cm length of external auditory canal. Measurements taken three times with each book were performed, and the overall sound intensity of the sound books and the sound intensity of each button were measured and compared.Results: Compared with the Korean standard, all the buttons of all books exceeded the standard for the sound volume of the children’s book measured at a distance of 2.5 cm. When comparing the maximum sound intensity measured at a distance of 25 cm with 85 LAmax, a total of 168 buttons of these, 25 (14.88%) were recorded as exceeding the maximum loudness. According to the standards of the ISO, all buttons in all books were below the standard 85 LAeq.Conclusion: Several children’s books are loud enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss, especially when they are placed close to the ear. Strict standards for sound children’s books are required, and it is important to put a warning on the cover of the book. It is expected that the sound intensity of the children’s sound book presented in this study can be referenced when referring to the loudness during hearing rehabilitation in children.