Table 1

Pertinent study characteristics of all studies in the systematic review

First authorCountry (income level)Age categoryNumber,
sample size		Number, exposedRisk criteria
Personal listening devices
 Muchnik25 Israel
(High)		Minors7422Daily (LAeq >80 dB)
 Twardella26 Germany
(High)		Minors2143579Weekly (LAeq >80 dB)
 Vogel27 Netherlands
(High)		Minors1510487Weekly (LAeq >80 dB)
 Sulaiman28 Malaysia
(Middle)		Minors17715Daily (LAeq >80 dB)
 Sulaiman29 Malaysia
(Middle)		Adults28222Daily (LAeq >80 dB)
 Fligor30 USA
(High)		Adults11072Weekly (LAeq >80 dB)
 Lévesque31 Canada
(High)		Minors12452Daily (LAeq >85 dB)
 Lee32 Singapore
(High)		Mixed1928316Daily (LAeq >85 dB)
 Breinbauer33 Chile
(High)		Mixed56267Daily (LAeq >85 dB)
 Hussain34 USA
(High)		Adult5011Other*
 Kaplan-Neeman35 Israel
(High)		Adult409Daily (LAeq >85 dB)
 Hutchinson Marron36 USA
(High)		Adult1647Other*
 Orozco Medina37 Mexico
(Middle)		Adult4022Other*
 Kim38 Republic of Korea
(High)		Adult409Daily (LAeq >85 dB)
 Kumar39 India
(Middle)		Mixed10041Other*
 Vogel40 Netherlands
(High)		Mixed943287Weekly (LAeq >80 dB)
 Mercier41 Switzerland
(High)		Mixed700121Other*
Loud entertainment venues
 Vogel40 Netherlands
(High)		Mixed943454≥1x/month; LAeq ≥80 dB for ≥56 hours/week
 Mercier41 Switzerland
(High)		Mixed700553≥1x/week;
LAeq ≥87 dB for ≥40 hours/week
 LePrell42 USA
(High)		Adults8736≥1x/month
 LePrell43 USA
(High)		Adults7445≥1x/month
 Figueroa Hernández44 México
(Middle)		Mixed205159≥1x/month
 Ahmed45 Canada
(High)		Mixed15046≥1x/month
 Vogel27 Netherlands
(High)		Minors1512267≥1x/month; LAeq ≥85 dB for ≥40 hours/week
 Serra16 Argentina
(Middle)		Minors10667≥1x/month
 Rosanowski46 Germany
(High)		Adults8869≥1x/month
 Widén47 Sweden
(High)		Minors1238350≥1x/month
 Jokitulppo48 Finland
(High)		Adults1054437≥1x/month
 Degeest49 Belgium
(High)		Adults15154≥1x/month
 Weichbold50 Austria
(High)		Minors1294787≥1x/month
 Serra5 Argentina
(Middle)		Minors17258≥1x/month
 Gilles51 Belgium
(High)		Adults14592≥1x/month
 Budimčić52 Serbia
(Middle)		Adults780609≥1x/week
 Filova53 Slovakia
(High)		Adults1003437≥1x/month
 Johnson54 UK
(High)		Adults357165≥1x/week

  • Adults (18–34 years), minors (12–19 years), mixed (12–34 years).

  • *Studies specified duration of exposure and objectively measured intensity but did not explicitly state a standard permissible exposure limit.

  • LAEq, equivalent continuous sound pressure level is the constant noise level that would result in the same total sound energy being produced over a given period.