<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><b>Football match spectator sound exposure and effect on hearing: A pretest-post-test study.<br><br></b></font><p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>ABSTRACT</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b>OBCJETIVES:</b>
'To determine (i) noise exposure levels of spectators at a FIFA 2010
designated training stadium during a premier soccer league match; and
(ii) changes in auditory functioning after the match. <br> <b>METHODS:</b>
This was a one-group pretest-post-test design of football spectators
attending a premier soccer league match at a designated FIFA 2010
training stadium in Gauteng, South Africa. <br> Individual spectator
noise exposure for the duration of the football match and post-match
changes in hearing thresholds were measured with pure-tone audiometry,
and cochlear functioning was measured with distortion product
otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). <br> <b>RESULTS:</b> The average
sound exposure level during the match was 100.5 LAeq (dBA), with peak
intensities averaging 140.4 dB(C). A significant (p=0.005)
deterioration of post-match hearing thresholds was evident at 2 000 Hz,
and post-match DPOAE amplitudes were significantly reduced at 1 266, 3
163 and 5 063 Hz (p=0.011, 0.019, 0.013, respectively). <br> <b>CONCLUSIONS:</b>
Exposure levels exceeded limits of permissible average and peak sound
levels. Significant changes in postmatch hearing thresholds and
cochlear responsiveness highlight the possible risk for noise-induced
hearing loss. Public awareness and personal hearing protection should
be prioritised as preventive measures. </font></p><br><a href="http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-95742010000400024&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en">http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-95742010000400024&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en</a><br>