Patterns of Using Personal Audio Devices and Associated Health Risks in Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia

Khalid Al-Yahya, Abdullah Al-Khateeb, Abdulrahman Al-Ismail, Abdulwahab Al-Yahya, Atika Al-Arfaj

Abstract

Hearing loss is the world's fourth leading cause of disability. A limited number of studies in Saudi Arabia assess knowledge of personal audio device use and associated health risks among the general population, particularly on the regional level. Moreover, no study was performed in the Eastern Province about this problem. Thus, this study aimed to measure the pattern of the Use of earphones and Personal Audio Devices (PAD) and assess usage habits, listening beliefs, and knowledge of safe use of a sample of adults in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Data were derived in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia and included 483 participants; 33.7% belonged to the age group of 18-25 years old. Data were collected by an online self-administered questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics, a c2 test, a Manne Whitney U test, and hierarchical multiple logistic regression. The assessment of the pattern of PAD usage showed that 53.4% of the participants reported that they had been using it for more than 5 years, and 43.1% used it more than 4 days a week. The assessment of perceptions related to continuous PAD usage showed that 61.7% believed its usage would lead to hearing loss, 79.7% thought it would cause ringing in the ear, 43.1% believed it would cause insomnia, and the majority (90.5%) believed it would cause headache. The knowledge level assessment for PAD use showed that more than half of participants (51.3%) had poor knowledge related to personal audio devices use. Half of the study's participants were unaware of the health risks associated with PAD use. Health officials should use more effective health education strategies to increase public and caregiver understanding of the many aspects of PAD usage.

 

Keywords: personal audio devices, hearing loss, risk, awareness, deafness.

 

https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.49.4.30

 


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