Hispanics Concerned About Hearing Loss Caused by Modern Technology
December 18, 2006--Nearly three-fourths of adults surveyed in Puerto Rico (73%) and Mexico (71%) report they are concerned about hearing loss from the use of personal audio technology, such as iPods or other MP3 players, portable CD players, or cell phones. The findings result from a poll commissioned by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) that was conducted by Zogby International at the end of October 2006. Complete information about the polling is available at http://www.asha.org/about/news/convention06/default.htm.
The polling was conducted online and has a margin error of +/-4.1 percentage points.
| Half of the respondents surveyed in each country reported seeing information recently about the risks of hearing loss; two-thirds of those in Mexico indicated they would be more likely to think about the risks of hearing loss because of the information they had heard, read, or seen. Only 45% Puerto Rican respondents indicated they would be, however. The poll also found that 92% of adults in Mexico and 83% of adults in Puerto Rico were concerned about the hearing health of their children due to their use of electronic devices with earphones. |
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“Educating adults and children about the safe usage of these devices is the most important and effective way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss,” according to Alina Paz, an ASHA member and a certified audiologist and speech-language pathologist with Miami Dade County Public Schools. “Healthy hearing habits are more easily established at an early age in the home and in school.”
While the poll found that cell phones are the most used electronic device in each country (86% in Mexico; 72% in Puerto Rico), iPods or other MP3 players are becoming more popular with 70% of adults in Mexico and 50% of adults in Puerto Rico reporting they use these devices. Also, buying habits appear to be signaling an increase in the usage of the technology as nearly 80% of adults in Mexico and half of adults in Puerto Rico reported that they had recently purchased an iPod or other brand of MP3 player; 66% of poll respondents in Mexico and 50% in Puerto Rico indicated they planned to purchase an iPod or other MP3 player as a gift during the end of year holidays.
The Mexico-Puerto Rico poll also found that significant percentages of respondents are listening to iPods, other MP3 players, and the like for 1-4 hours and for 4 hours or more at a time. For example, 69% of Puerto Rican respondents report listening to iPods for those lengths of time; for Mexican respondents, the figure is 72%. While respondents in Mexico most often report keeping their volume levels at medium (64%), nearly 60% of Puerto Rican respondents report using the devices at a loud or very loud volume.
The polling in Puerto Rico and Mexico is the latest aspect of ASHA’s public education campaign, America: Tuned in Today…But Tuned out Tomorrow?, which encourages safe usage of personal audio technology, and recommends safety steps such as keeping volume levels with the maximum safe limit of 85 decibels and limiting listening time.
This fall, ASHA launched a bilingual Web site for young children, parents, and educators, http://www.listentoyourbuds.org. It provides adults with a helpful and enjoyable opportunity to sit with very young children and receive prevention tips from the Buds, two friendly cartoon characters. The Buds communicate in fun ways, not the least of which is “Turn Down the Volume,” an interactive game the young can play while they also learn how to protect their hearing.
The bilingual listentoyourbuds.org Web site also features links to a wide range of information sources, links to information about headphone upgrades, video interviews with audiologists about safe usage of personal audio technology, and a downloadable animation of ear damage from unsafe sound that can be a powerful visual for educators and media.
“ASHA’s long-standing commitment to international outreach is one of the reasons why it commissioned the polling and made its resources bilingual,” according to ASHA 2006 President Alex Johnson, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. “We hope this information proves helpful and that people will take advantage of it.”
ASHA is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 123,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists in the United States and internationally. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. For information on speech, language, and hearing disorders, go to http://www.asha.org or call 1-800-638-TALK.