Background: Adolescents and young adults are increasingly exposed to high-intensity recreational noise, potentially leading to acquired hearing damage. Currently, no study has documented the prevalence of such acquired hearing loss (HL) among French-speaking adolescents in Belgium. However, studies conducted in similar industrialized regions of the world indicate that 17 to 19% of adolescents may experience slight/mild acquired HL. One major concern regarding slight/mild HL, as detected through pure-tone audiometry, is that it often goes unnoticed by the affected individuals. Research has shown that people who do not perceive any hearing issues are less likely to engage in protective behaviors that could safeguard their hearing. Moreover, even a slight degree of HL is significantly associated with poorer academic performance and speech recognition abilities.

Objective: This study aims to (i) estimate the prevalence of acquired hearing loss in a French-speaking Belgian adolescent population and (ii) explore its relationship with noise exposure, throughout development.

Methods: We conduct assessments in schools and community organizations, including pure-tone audiometry, speech perception in noise, Distortion Products of Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE), and several questionnaires evaluating listening habits and noise exposure history since childhood.

Preliminary Results: Pilot data collected from a young adult sample (n=34, age = 21±2.2 years) revealed that 17.6% exhibited a mean pure-tone average (PTA) exceeding 15 dB HL. Additionally, our preliminary analysis showed that individuals who reported a lack of concern for their hearing health had significantly higher PTA values compared to those who actively cared about their hearing.

Discussion: Preliminary findings align with existing literature. We plan to expand our sample to approximately 500 adolescents to compare prevalence of acquired HL throughout development across the world, and look into possible causes of acquired losses. Results of this project could help shape public policies regarding noise exposure throughout development.