Projects & Grants
| Early detection of hearing loss in the Czech and Slovak adult population | |
|---|---|
| Project Id | SGS19/LF/2026 |
| Main solver | Mgr. Markéta Svobodníková |
| Period | 1/2026 - 12/2026 |
| Provider | Specifický VŠ výzkum |
| State | solved |
| Anotation | According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide live with some degree of hearing loss, and around 49 million young individuals aged 12-35 years experience a disabling level of hearing impairment that affects their daily functioning. The WHO further reports that about half of young people in middle- and high-income countries use personal listening devices (PLDs)- such as portable music players, mobile phones, or other devices with headphones - at volumes exceeding safe listening levels. Listening to music at an intensity of 100 dB for 15 minutes exposes an individual to the same sound dose as an eight-hour work shift in an environment with 85 dB noise. In 2014, the Scientific Committee of the European Commission identified mobile phones with portable sound playback functions as a new health risk. Prolonged and loud use of PLDs may cause hearing damage and leads to deterioration of hearing thresholds measured by audiometric testing. Conventional audiometry (125-8000 Hz) is used to assess hearing thresholds in adults. To detect early hearing changes, high-frequency audiometry (9000-16,000 Hz) is recommended, as it can identify early-stage hearing loss before it becomes evident in the mid and low frequencies that are crucial for speech perception. The aim of this project is to assess hearing thresholds in young adults aged 18-35 years across the frequency range of 125?16,000 Hz and to compare results between users and non-users of personal listening devices. The findings will help determine whether listening to music through PLDs represents a significant risk factor for hearing loss among the young population and will support the development of appropriate preventive measures for hearing protection. |
| Total Costs | 136 400 CZK |
