Investigation of Factors Associated with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Mental Health Analysis in Children: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: To understand the related factors and mental health status of children with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and provide a reliable reference for the prevention and control of children's hearing health.

Methods: This study was a retrospective study. Sixty-nine children diagnosed with NIHL attending First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from December 2021 to December 2023 were included, and general characteristics, audiological assessment, self-questionnaire on factors associated with hearing loss, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were collected to analyze the relevant factors of NIHL in children and their mental health status.

Results: The 69 NIHL patients included in the study were 50.73% male; the mean age of the patients used was 13.61 ± 2.00 years. Overall, 30.43% of the patients met the "notch" criteria, 59.42% met the high-frequency hearing loss criteria, and 10.14% met both criteria. The major correlation factor for hearing loss was dominated by prolonged use of headphones (82.60%), followed by practicing musical instruments without hearing protection (10.14%), and the majority of the patients showed minor hearing loss (91.30%). The total SDQ score of the included patients was 16.12 ± 1.89, which was borderline. The emotional symptoms score was 6.42 ± 0.76, which was also borderline. The scores of conduct problems, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction problems, and pro-social behaviors were at normal levels.

Conclusion: For children with NIHL, long-term use of headphones was the main associated factor, characterized by high-frequency hearing loss and minor hearing loss. At the same time, the children showed mental health problems that mainly included emotional symptoms.