Audiology and Neurotology

Original Paper

The Annex C Fallacy: Why Unscreened Databases Are Usually Preferable for Comparison of Industrially Exposed Groups

Dobie R.A.a · Agrawal Y.b

Author affiliations

aUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Tex., and University of California, Davis, Calif., bJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., USA

Keywords: DiabetesEpidemiologyHearing lossNon-occupational noiseOccupational noiseRegressionRisk factorSmokingSocioeconomic status

Related Articles for ""
Audiol Neurotol 2011;16:29–35
https://doi.org/10.1159/000308452

Log in to MyKarger to check if you already have access to this content.




Forgot your password
Sign up to MyKarger

Buy

  • FullText & PDF
  • Unlimited re-access via MyKarger
  • Unrestricted printing, no saving restrictions for personal use
read more
CHF 38.00 *
EUR 35.00 *
USD 39.00 *

Select

KAB

Buy a Karger Article Bundle (KAB) and profit from a discount!


If you would like to redeem your KAB credit, please log in.

Save over 20% compared to the individual article price.

Learn more

Rent/Cloud

  • Rent for 48h to view
  • Buy Cloud Access for unlimited viewing via different devices
  • Synchronizing in the ReadCube Cloud
  • Printing and saving restrictions apply
Rental: USD 8.50
Cloud: USD 20.00

Select

Subscribe

  • Access to all articles of the subscribed year(s) guaranteed for 5 years
  • Unlimited re-access via Subscriber Login or MyKarger
  • Unrestricted printing, no saving restrictions for personal use
read more

Subcription rates

Select
* The final prices may differ from the prices shown due to specifics of VAT rules.

Article / Publication Details

First-Page Preview
Abstract of Original Paper

Received: November 24, 2009
Accepted: March 17, 2010
Published online: May 29, 2010
Issue release date: December 2010

Number of Print Pages: 7
Number of Figures: 1
Number of Tables: 4

ISSN: 1420-3030 (Print)
eISSN: 1421-9700 (Online)

For additional information: https://www.karger.com/AUD

Abstract

One can study occupational noise exposure by comparing hearing thresholds of exposed people to control data from national or international standards. ANSI S3.44 (1996) offers Annex C – thresholds for people without occupational noise exposure – as appropriate control data for such comparisons. Annex C is based on the false assumption that people who have had occupational noise exposure are similar in all other important ways to those without such exposures. In fact, people with noisy jobs are more likely than others to be smokers, diabetics, poorly educated, white and exposed to non-occupational noise. Taking these other risk factors into account, the appropriate thresholds for comparison to industrial study populations are closer to those of the unscreened population than to an ‘Annex C’ population that simply excludes occupationally noise-exposed persons.

© 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel

References

  1. Agrawal Y, Niparko JK, Dobie RA: Estimating the effect of occupational noise exposure on hearing thresholds: the importance of adjusting for confounding variables. Ear Hearing 2010;31:234–237.
    External Resources
  2. Agrawal Y, Platz EA, Niparko JK: Prevalence of hearing loss and differences by demographic characteristics among US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004. Arch Intern Med 2008;168:1522–1530.
    External Resources
  3. Agrawal Y, Platz EA, Niparko JK: Risk factors for hearing loss in US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2002. Otol Neurotol 2009;30:139–145.
    External Resources
  4. American National Standards Institute: Determination of occupational noise exposure and estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment. ANSI S3.44 – 1996. New York, Acoustical Society of America, 1996.
  5. Bainbridge KE, Hoffman HJ, Cowie CC: Diabetes and hearing impairment in the United States: audiometric evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004. Ann Intern Med 2008;149:1–10.
    External Resources
  6. Davis AC: The prevalence of hearing impairment and reported hearing disability among adults in Great Britain. Intl J Epidemiol 1989;18:911–917.
    External Resources
  7. Dobie RA: Methodological issues when comparing hearing thresholds of a group with population standards: the case of the Ferry engineers. Ear Hear 2006;27:526–537.
    External Resources
  8. Hoffman HJ, Dobie RA, Ko CW, Themann CL, Murphy WJ: Americans hear as well or better today compared to 40 years ago: hearing threshold levels in the unscreened adult population of the US, 1959–62 and 1999–2004. Ear Hearing, in press.
  9. International Organization for Standardization: ISO-1999, 1990: Acoustics: determination of occupational noise exposure and estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment. Geneva, ISO, 1990.
  10. Johansson MSK, Arlinger SD: Hearing threshold levels for an otologically unscreened, non-occupationally noise-exposed population in Sweden. Int J Audiol 2002;41:180–194.
    External Resources
  11. Konings A, Van Laer L, Van Camp G: Genetic studies on noise-induced hearing loss: a review. Ear Hear 2009;30:151–159.
    External Resources
  12. National Center for Health Statistics: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: HES I and NHANES 1999–2004 data files: data, docs, codebooks, SAS code. www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm (accessed September 24, 2009).
  13. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Criteria for a recommended standard. Occupational noise exposure: revised criteria. Cincinnati, NIOSH, 1998, pp 9–59.
  14. Royster LH, Thomas WG: Age effect hearing levels for a white nonindustrial noise exposed population (NINEP) and their use in evaluating industrial hearing conservation programs. Am Ind Hyg Assoc 1979;40:504–511.
    External Resources
  15. Royster LH, Driscoll DP, Thomas WG, Royster JD: Age effect hearing levels for a black nonindustrial noise exposed population (NINEP). Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1980;41:113–119.
    External Resources
  16. Tambs K, Hoffman HJ, Borchgrevik HM, Holmen J, Samuelsen SO: Hearing loss induced by noise, ear infections, and head injuries: results from the Nord-Trondelag hearing loss study. Intl J Audiol 2003;42:89–105.
    External Resources

Article / Publication Details

First-Page Preview
Abstract of Original Paper

Received: November 24, 2009
Accepted: March 17, 2010
Published online: May 29, 2010
Issue release date: December 2010

Number of Print Pages: 7
Number of Figures: 1
Number of Tables: 4

ISSN: 1420-3030 (Print)
eISSN: 1421-9700 (Online)

For additional information: https://www.karger.com/AUD

Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer

Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.

Article Tools
Article Details

2011, Vol.16, No. 1

December 2010

Article

TAP Icon This Article is Part of
Recommend This
TOP