The Prevalence of Using Personal Music Player and Listening Habits in Iranian Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Exposure to loud music from sources such as portable music players (PMP), especially among adolescents, can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. The aims of this study are as follows: 1) investigate the prevalence of headphone use in Iranian University students by assessing their behavior, 2) determine the type of headphones used, and 3) ascertain the type of music player used. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 250 students from Hamadan University of medical sciences and health services were randomly selected to fill out a questionnaire. Results: Overall, 91.2% of students were found to use headphones, 10.4% of which used headphones more than 1 hour a day, and 52% of them used volume setting higher than three fourths of the output capacity. The most common music player was a mobile phone, and the most common headphone type was the inserted type. Tinnitus was reported among 34.4% of users following the use of personal music player. Conclusion: The use of personal music players amongst students was found to be very high in the study setting.

Keywords

• Prevalence
• Portable music player
• Students