Daily Earphone Use Is Associated with Elevated Hearing Thresholds in Young Adults

Abstract Background With growing trend of personal listening devices, young adults are at increased risk for early-onset hearing loss. This study investigates the association between earphone usage habits and audiometric thresholds among undergraduate students. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 110 undergraduate students (aged 18–25 years), who regularly used earphones. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling after applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data on earphone usage habits were obtained using a structured, validated questionnaire. Audiometric evaluation was conducted in a sound-treated environment using pure tone audiometry at frequencies ranging from 125 to 8000 Hz. Participants were categorized into normal (< 20 dB HL) and raised (≥ 20 dB HL) auditory threshold groups. Statistical analysis included independent-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and Fisher’s exact test (SPSS v16). Results Out of 110 participants, 52.73% had normal hearing thresholds and 47.27% had elevated thresholds. The raised threshold group demonstrated significantly higher mean hearing levels (M = 16.53 ± 5.48 dB HL) compared to the normal group (M = 8.43 ± 6.80 dB HL; p < 0.001). Daily earphone use was also significantly greater among those with raised thresholds (p = 0.009). A significant association was observed between higher audio output levels and elevated thresholds (χ² = 6.836, p = 0.033). Conclusions A combination of prolonged daily earphone use and higher output levels is significantly linked to early auditory threshold elevation and represents modifiable risk factors. This highlights the need for greater awareness of safe listening practices among young users.