The development of a noise-exposure profile for the typical high school student

Bibliography : pages 83-88.A 42-item noise survey questionnaire was administered to 426 DeKalb High School (DeKalb, Illinois) students (231 freshmen and 195 juniors) to examine the students' opinions regarding their general exposure to loud sounds, their exposures to specific sources of loud sounds, and their exposures to loud sounds in the work environment. Specific sound sources listed in the questionnaire were: firecrackers, firearms, farm machinery, power tools, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, office machinery, aircraft, motorcycles, automobiles, stereo music (with and without headphones), and live music. The survey also included questions regarding the students' use of any hearing protective devices and their exposures to sources of loud sound other than those mentioned in the questionnaire. The survey data indicated that 95.54 percent of the subjects reported experiencing exposure to loud sounds. In addition, a statistical analysis revealed that the students' opinions regarding their general exposure were not dependent upon their age or sex. Further data analysis revealed four major sources of recurrent (possibly excessive) noise exposure: l) stereo music without headphones; 2) lawn mower noise; 3) motorcycle and automobile noise; and 4) stereo music with headphones. Power tool noise was reported as a source of regular or frequent noise exposure by a moderate number (36.20 percent) of male subjects. The results also suggested apparent differences between sexes and age groups relative to their reported exposures to various sources of loud sound and their reported use of hearing protective devices.M.A. (Master of Arts