Stress and prevalence of hearing problems in the Swedish working population

Dan Hasson, Töres Theorell, Martin Benka Wallén, Constanze Leineweber, Barbara Canlon, Dan Hasson, Töres Theorell, Martin Benka Wallén, Constanze Leineweber, Barbara Canlon

Abstract

Background: Current human and experimental studies are indicating an association between stress and hearing problems; however potential risk factors have not been established. Hearing problems are projected to become among the top ten disabilities according to the WHO in the near future. Therefore a better understanding of the relationships between stress and hearing is warranted. Here we describe the prevalence of two common hearing problems, i.e. hearing complaints and tinnitus, in relation to different work-and health-related stressors.

Methods: A total of 18,734 individuals were invited to participate in the study, out of which 9,756 (52%) enrolled.

Results: The results demonstrate a clear and mostly linear relationship between higher prevalence of hearing problems (tinnitus or hearing loss or both) and different stressors, e.g. occupational, poorer self-rated health, long-term illness, poorer sleep quality, and higher burnout scores.

Conclusions: The present study unambiguously demonstrates associations between hearing problems and various stressors that have not been previously described for the auditory system. These findings will open new avenues for future investigations.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of hearing problems in percent in relation to different ratings of SRH. The Kendall's τ-b value is indicated by a "τ".
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of hearing problems in percent in relation to different ratings of sleep quality. The Kendall's τ-b value is indicated by a "τ".
Figure 3
Figure 3
Prevalence of hearing problems in percent in relation to different burnout scores (higher quartiles indicate more severe burnout symptoms). The Kendall's τ-b value is indicated by a "τ".
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prevalence of hearing problems in percent in relation to symptoms of long-lasting stress (higher quartiles indicate more stress symptoms). The Kendall's τ-b value is indicated by a "τ".
Figure 5
Figure 5
Prevalence of hearing problems in percent in relation to performance-based self-esteem (higher quartiles indicate higher PBS). The Kendall's τ-b value is indicated by a "τ".

References

    1. Mathers C, Smith A, Concha M. Global Burden of Disease. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2000. Global burden of hearing loss in the year 2000; pp. 1–30.
    1. Mathers CD, Loncar D. Projections of global mortality and burden of disease from 2002 to 2030. PLoS Med. 2006;3(11):e442. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030442.
    1. Agrawal Y, Platz EA, Niparko JK. Prevalence of hearing loss and differences by demographic characteristics among US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(14):1522–1530. doi: 10.1001/archinte.168.14.1522.
    1. Axelsson A, Ringdahl A. Tinnitus--a study of its prevalence and characteristics. Br J Audiol. 1989;23(1):53–62. doi: 10.3109/03005368909077819.
    1. Henry JA, Dennis KC, Schechter MA. General review of tinnitus: prevalence, mechanisms, effects, and management. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2005;48(5):1204–1235. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2005/084).
    1. Hasson D, Theorell T, Westerlund H, Canlon B. Prevalence and characteristics of hearing problems in a working and non-working Swedish population. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010;64(5):453–460. doi: 10.1136/jech.2009.095430.
    1. Singh-Manoux A, Adler NE, Marmot MG. Subjective social status: its determinants and its association with measures of ill-health in the Whitehall II study. Soc Sci Med. 2003;56(6):1321–1333. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00131-4.
    1. Marmot MG, Fuhrer R, Ettner SL, Marks NF, Bumpass LL, Ryff CD. Contribution of psychosocial factors to socioeconomic differences in health. Milbank Q. 1998;76(3):403–448. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.00097. 305.
    1. Marmot MG, Smith GD, Stansfeld S, Patel C, North F, Head J, White I, Brunner E, Feeney A. Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study. Lancet. 1991;337(8754):1387–1393. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)93068-K.
    1. Ohlemiller KK. Recent findings and emerging questions in cochlear noise injury. Hear Res. 2008;245(1-2):5–17. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2008.08.007.
    1. Job A, Raynal M, Kossowski M, Studler M, Ghernaouti C, Baffioni-Venturi A, Roux A, Darolles C, Guelorget A. Otoacoustic detection of risk of early hearing loss in ears with normal audiograms: a 3-year follow-up study. Hear Res. 2009;251(1-2):10–16. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2009.02.008.
    1. Tambs K, Hoffman HJ, Borchgrevink HM, Holmen J, Engdahl B. Hearing loss induced by occupational and impulse noise: results on threshold shifts by frequencies, age and gender from the Nord-Trondelag Hearing Loss Study. Int J Audiol. 2006;45(5):309–317. doi: 10.1080/14992020600582166.
    1. Bielefeld EC, Henderson D. Influence of sympathetic fibers on noise-induced hearing loss in the chinchilla. Hear Res. 2007;223(1-2):11–19. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2006.09.010.
    1. Horner KC, Giraudet F, Lucciano M, Cazals Y. Sympathectomy improves the ear's resistance to acoustic trauma--could stress render the ear more sensitive? Eur J Neurosci. 2001;13(2):405–408. doi: 10.1046/j.0953-816X.2000.01386.x.
    1. Canlon B, Meltser I, Johansson P, Tahera Y. Glucocorticoid receptors modulate auditory sensitivity to acoustic trauma. Hear Res. 2007;226(1-2):61–69. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2006.05.009.
    1. Tahera Y, Meltser I, Johansson P, Salman H, Canlon B. Sound conditioning protects hearing by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Neurobiol Dis. 2007;25(1):189–197. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.09.004.
    1. Wang Y, Liberman MC. Restraint stress and protection from acoustic injury in mice. Hear Res. 2002;165(1-2):96–102. doi: 10.1016/S0378-5955(02)00289-7.
    1. Rarey KE, Gerhardt KJ, Curtis LM, ten Cate WJ. Effect of stress on cochlear glucocorticoid protein: acoustic stress. Hear Res. 1995;82(2):135–138. doi: 10.1016/0378-5955(94)00171-L.
    1. Tahera Y, Meltser I, Johansson P, Hansson AC, Canlon B. Glucocorticoid receptor and nuclear factor-kappa B interactions in restraint stress-mediated protection against acoustic trauma. Endocrinology. 2006;147(9):4430–4437. doi: 10.1210/en.2006-0260.
    1. Horner KC. The emotional ear in stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2003;27(5):437–446. doi: 10.1016/S0149-7634(03)00071-X.
    1. Hebert S, Lupien SJ. The sound of stress: blunted cortisol reactivity to psychosocial stress in tinnitus sufferers. Neurosci Lett. 2007;411(2):138–142. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2006.10.028.
    1. Hebert S, Lupien SJ. Salivary cortisol levels, subjective stress, and tinnitus intensity in tinnitus sufferers during noise exposure in the laboratory. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2009;212(1):37–44. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2007.11.005.
    1. Hebert S, Paiement P, Lupien SJ. A physiological correlate for the intolerance to both internal and external sounds. Hear Res. 2004;190(1-2):1–9. doi: 10.1016/S0378-5955(04)00021-8.
    1. Hasson D, Theorell T, Liljeholm-Johansson Y, Canlon B. Psychosocial and physiological correlates of self-reported hearing problems in male and female musicians in symphony orchestras. Int J Psychophysiol. 2009;74(2):93–100. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2009.07.009.
    1. Magnusson Hanson LL, Theorell T, Oxenstierna G, Hyde M, Westerlund H. Demand, control and social climate as predictors of emotional exhaustion symptoms in working Swedish men and women. Scand J Public Health. 2008;36(7):737–743. doi: 10.1177/1403494808090164.
    1. Davis AC. The prevalence of hearing impairment and reported hearing disability among adults in Great Britain. Int J Epidemiol. 1989;18(4):911–917. doi: 10.1093/ije/18.4.911.
    1. Palmer KT, Griffin MJ, Syddall HE, Davis A, Pannett B, Coggon D. Occupational exposure to noise and the attributable burden of hearing difficulties in Great Britain. Occup Environ Med. 2002;59(9):634–639. doi: 10.1136/oem.59.9.634.
    1. Hasson D, Arnetz BB, Theorell T, Anderberg UM. Predictors of self-rated health. A 12-month prospective study of IT and media workers. Population Health Metrics. 2006;4(1):8. doi: 10.1186/1478-7954-4-8.
    1. Idler EL, Benyamini Y. Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1997;38(1):21–37. doi: 10.2307/2955359.
    1. Kaplan GA, Camacho T. Perceived health and mortality: a nine-year follow-up of the human population laboratory cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1983;117(3):292–304.
    1. Alfredsson L, Hammar N, Fransson E, de Faire U, Hallqvist J, Knutsson A, Nilsson T, Theorell T, Westerholm P. Job strain and major risk factors for coronary heart disease among employed males and females in a Swedish study on work, lipids and fibrinogen. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2002;28(4):238–248.
    1. Theorell T, Alfredsson L, Westerholm P, Falck B. Coping with unfair treatment at work--what is the relationship between coping and hypertension in middle-aged men and Women? An epidemiological study of working men and women in Stockholm (the WOLF study) Psychother Psychosom. 2000;69(2):86–94. doi: 10.1159/000012371.
    1. Kecklund G, Åkerstedt T. The psychometric properties of the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Journal of Sleep Research. 1992;6:221–229.
    1. Maslach C, Jackson SE, Leiter MP. Maslach burnout inventory manual. 3. Palo Alto, Ca.: Consulting Psychologists Press; 1996.
    1. Hallberg UE, Sverke M. Construct validity of the maslach burnout inventory: Two Swedish health care samples. Eur J Psychol Assess. 2004;20(4):320–338. doi: 10.1027/1015-5759.20.4.320.
    1. Hallsten L, Bellaagh K, Gustafsson K, Arbetslivsinstitutet. Utbränning i Sverige: en populationsstudie. Solna: Arbetslivsinstitutet; 2002.
    1. Hallsten L, Josephson M, Torgen M, Arbetslivsinstitutet. Performance-based self-esteem: a driving force in burnout processes and its assessment. Stockholm: Arbetslivsinstitutet; 2005.
    1. Hasson D, Theorell T, Westerlund H, Canlon B. Prevalence and characteristics of hearing problems in a working and non-working Swedish population. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009.
    1. Bailis DS, Segall A, Chipperfield JG. Two views of self-rated general health status. Soc Sci Med. 2003;56(2):203–217. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00020-5.
    1. Idler EL, Benyamini Y. Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. J Health Soc Behav. 1997;38(1):21–37. doi: 10.2307/2955359.
    1. Farmer MM, Ferraro KF. Distress and perceived health: mechanisms of health decline. J Health Soc Behav. 1997;38(3):298–311. doi: 10.2307/2955372.
    1. Fylkesnes K, Forde OH. Determinants and dimensions involved in self-evaluation of health. Soc Sci Med. 1992;35(3):271–279. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(92)90023-J.
    1. Krause NM, Jay GM. What do global self-rated health items measure? Med Care. 1994;32(9):930–942. doi: 10.1097/00005650-199409000-00004.
    1. Miilunpalo S, Vuori I, Oja P, Pasanen M, Urponen H. Self-rated health status as a health measure: the predictive value of self-reported health status on the use of physician services and on mortality in the working-age population. J Clin Epidemiol. 1997;50(5):517–528. doi: 10.1016/S0895-4356(97)00045-0.
    1. Mossey JM, Shapiro E. Self-rated health: a predictor of mortality among the elderly. Am J Public Health. 1982;72(8):800–808. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.72.8.800.
    1. Kaplan GA, Camacho T. Perceived health and mortality: a nine-year follow-up of the human population laboratory cohort. Am J Epidemiol. 1983;117(3):292–304.
    1. Kaleta D, Makowiec-Dabrowska T, Jegier A. Employment status and self rated health. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2008;21(3):227–236. doi: 10.2478/v10001-008-0023-y.
    1. Lekander M, Elofsson S, Neve IM, Hansson LO, Unden AL. Self-rated health is related to levels of circulating cytokines. Psychosomatic medicine. 2004;66(4):559–563. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000130491.95823.94.
    1. Hasson D, Von Thiele Schwarz U, Lindfors P. Self-rated health and allostatic load in women working in two occupational sectors. J Health Psychol. 2009;14(4):568–577. doi: 10.1177/1359105309103576.
    1. Ihlebaek C, Eriksen HR. Occupational and social variation in subjective health complaints. Occup Med (Lond) 2003;53(4):270–278. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqg060.
    1. Pikhart H, Bobak M, Siegrist J, Pajak A, Rywik S, Kyshegyi J, Gostautas A, Skodova Z, Marmot M. Psychosocial work characteristics and self rated health in four post-communist countries. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001;55(9):624–630. doi: 10.1136/jech.55.9.624.
    1. Bardel A, Wallander MA, Wedel H, Svardsudd K. Age-specific symptom prevalence in women 35-64 years old: a population-based study. BMC Public Health. 2009;9:37. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-37.
    1. Lam DK, Lawrence HP, Tenenbaum HC. Aural symptoms in temporomandibular disorder patients attending a craniofacial pain unit. J Orofac Pain. 2001;15(2):146–157.
    1. Asplund R. Sleepiness and sleep in elderly persons with tinnitus. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2003;37(2):139–145. doi: 10.1016/S0167-4943(03)00028-1.
    1. Asplund R. Sleepiness and sleep in elderly subjects with hearing complaints. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2003;36(1):93–99. doi: 10.1016/S0167-4943(02)00062-6.
    1. Gopinath B, McMahon CM, Rochtchina E, Karpa MJ, Mitchell P. Risk factors and impacts of incident tinnitus in older adults. Ann Epidemiol. 2010;20(2):129–135. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2009.09.002.
    1. Jansen EJ, Helleman HW, Dreschler WA, de Laat JA. Noise induced hearing loss and other hearing complaints among musicians of symphony orchestras. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2009;82(2):153–164. doi: 10.1007/s00420-008-0317-1.
    1. Ciccone DS, Natelson BH. Comorbid illness in women with chronic fatigue syndrome: a test of the single syndrome hypothesis. Psychosomatic medicine. 2003;65(2):268–275. doi: 10.1097/01.PSY.0000033125.08272.A9.
    1. Clauw DJ, Williams DA. Relationship between stress and pain in work-related upper extremity disorders: the hidden role of chronic multisymptom illnesses. Am J Ind Med. 2002;41(5):370–382. doi: 10.1002/ajim.10068.
    1. Hudson JI, Goldenberg DL, Pope HG Jr, Keck PE Jr, Schlesinger L. Comorbidity of fibromyalgia with medical and psychiatric disorders. Am J Med. 1992;92(4):363–367. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(92)90265-D.
    1. Ursin H, Eriksen HR. Sensitization, subjective health complaints, and sustained arousal. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2001;933:119–129. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05819.x.
    1. Leino P, Magni G. Depressive and distress symptoms as predictors of low back pain, neck-shoulder pain, and other musculoskeletal morbidity: a 10-year follow-up of metal industry employees. Pain. 1993;53(1):89–94. doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(93)90060-3.
    1. Alpini D, Cesarani A. Tinnitus as an alarm bell: stress reaction tinnitus model. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2006;68(1):31–36. discussion 36-37.
    1. Lockwood AH, Salvi RJ, Coad ML, Towsley ML, Wack DS, Murphy BW. The functional neuroanatomy of tinnitus: evidence for limbic system links and neural plasticity. Neurology. 1998;50(1):114–120.
    1. Hallsten L, Voss M, Stark S, Josephson M. Job burnout and job wornout as risk factors for long-term sickness absence. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation. 2011;38(2):181–192.
    1. Nondahl DM, Cruickshanks KJ, Wiley TL, Tweed TS, Klein R, Klein BE. Accuracy of self-reported hearing loss. Audiology. 1998;37(5):295–301. doi: 10.3109/00206099809072983.

Source: PubMed

赞助者和合作者

医疗条件

药物干预

3
订阅