{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T16:41:32Z","timestamp":1787071292461,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"130","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate occupational factors that contribute to variability in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) severity across different industrial sectors and identify high-risk occupational groups for targeted intervention strategies. A comprehensive systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases from January 2003 to January 2025. Studies were included if they reported quantitative measures of NIHL prevalence, odds ratios, or prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals across different occupational sectors. Keywords included \u201cnoise-induced hearing loss,\u201d \u201coccupational hearing loss,\u201d \u201cprevalence,\u201d \u201codds ratio (OR),\u201d and specific occupation terms including \u201cminers,\u201d \u201cconstruction workers,\u201d \u201cmanufacturing workers,\u201d \u201cindustrial noise,\u201d \u201cdeafness,\u201d and \u201coccupational disease.\u201d Data extraction focused on study characteristics, participant demographics, noise exposure levels, and NIHL outcomes. Random-effects meta-analysis models were employed using Stata 17.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA). Forest plots were generated using Review Manager 5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). Eleven cross-sectional studies (no cohort or case-control studies met the inclusion criteria) encompassing 169,804 workers across multiple industries were included. Mining demonstrated the highest NIHL severity, with prevalence ranging from 22.9% to 47%. Gold ore mining showed a prevalence of 22.9%, while support activities for coal mining exhibited a prevalence of 18.1% with risk elevation. Manufacturing sectors showed consistent risk elevations across geographic regions, with developing countries reporting higher prevalence rates (20.4%\u201330.7%) compared to developed countries (14%\u201317%). Construction industry workers had prevalence rates of 17% to 26.9% across different subsectors. Age emerged as a critical modifier, with workers \u226535 years showing substantially increased risk. Geographic variations were observed, with developing countries generally reporting higher prevalence rates across all industries. Mining demonstrates the highest NIHL risk (PR up to 2.02), followed by construction and manufacturing. These findings support industry-specific hearing conservation programs in high-risk occupational environments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4103\/nah.nah_167_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,9]],"date-time":"2026-03-09T12:00:24Z","timestamp":1773057624000},"page":"24-32","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Meta-analysis of Occupational Factors Contributing to Variability in Noise-induced Hearing Loss Severity"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"28","author":[{"given":"XinMin","family":"Wei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital of Xinglin College, Nantong University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional Examination Department, Nanjing Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital of Xinglin College, Nantong University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional Examination Department, Nanjing Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.20223","article-title":"The global burden of occupational noise-induced hearing loss","volume":"48","author":"Nelson","year":"2005","journal-title":"Am J Ind Med"},{"key":"R2-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1186\/s12199-020-00906-0","article-title":"An overview of occupational noise-induced hearing loss among workers: epidemiology, pathogenesis, and preventive measures","volume":"25","author":"Chen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ Health Prev Med"},{"key":"R3-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3879","DOI":"10.1121\/1.5134465","article-title":"Occupational noise exposure: a review of its effects, epidemiology, and impact with recommendations for reducing its burden","volume":"146","author":"Themann","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Acous Soc Am"},{"key":"R4-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.1044\/2016_JSLHR-H-15-0365","article-title":"Economic impact of hearing loss and reduction of noise-induced hearing loss in the United States","volume":"60","author":"Neitzel","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Speech Lang Hear Res"},{"key":"R5-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1016\/j.disamonth.2013.01.002","article-title":"Understanding and preventing noise-induced hearing loss","volume":"59","author":"Hong","year":"2013","journal-title":"Dis Mon"},{"key":"R6-20260326","first-page":"Cd006396","article-title":"Interventions to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss","volume":"10","author":"Verbeek","year":"2012","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"R7-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6515a2","article-title":"Hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers\u2014United States, 2003\u20132012","volume":"65","author":"Masterson","year":"2016","journal-title":"MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep"},{"key":"R8-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1097\/JOM.0b013e3181579316","article-title":"Hearing difficulty attributable to employment by industry and occupation: an analysis of the National Health Interview Survey-United States, 1997 to 2003","volume":"50","author":"Tak","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Occup Environ Med"},{"key":"R9-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.4103\/ijcm.ijcm_1267_21","article-title":"Occupational noise induced hearing loss in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"47","author":"Basu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Indian J Commun Med"},{"key":"R10-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11693","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182111693","article-title":"The effectiveness of hearing protection devices: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"18","author":"Kwak","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"R11-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1690","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.280.19.1690","article-title":"What\u2019s the relative risk? A method of correcting the odds ratio in cohort studies of common outcomes","volume":"280","author":"Zhang","year":"1998","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"R12-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"826","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.23031","article-title":"Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed workers within the mining and oil and gas extraction sectors, 2006\u20132015","volume":"62","author":"Lawson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Indus Med"},{"key":"R13-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsr.2024.11.005","article-title":"Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed U.S. workers within the construction sector, 2010\u20132019","volume":"92","author":"Masterson","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Safety Re"},{"key":"R14-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.22792","article-title":"Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed workers within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector, 2003\u20132012","volume":"61","author":"Masterson","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am J Ind Med"},{"key":"R15-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"948","DOI":"10.1080\/14992027.2020.1780485","article-title":"Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed workers within the services sector, 2006\u20132015","volume":"59","author":"Sekhon","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Audiol"},{"key":"R16-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1177\/0018720812457175","article-title":"Occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Indian steel industry workers: an exploratory study","volume":"55","author":"Singh","year":"2013","journal-title":"Hum Factors"},{"key":"R17-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1016\/j.shaw.2020.04.002","article-title":"Assessment of noise exposure and hearing loss among workers in textile mill (Thamine), Myanmar: a cross-sectional study","volume":"11","author":"Zaw","year":"2020","journal-title":"Safety Health Work"},{"key":"R18-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v13i4.6","article-title":"Prevalence of noise induced hearing loss among employees at a mining industry in Zimbabwe","volume":"13","author":"Chadambuka","year":"2013","journal-title":"Afr Health Sci"},{"key":"R19-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"386","DOI":"10.1093\/occmed\/kqv046","article-title":"The prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss among Tanzanian miners","volume":"65","author":"Musiba","year":"2015","journal-title":"Occup Med (Oxford, England)"},{"key":"R20-20260326","first-page":"267","article-title":"Prevalence of noise induced hearing loss among Jordanian industrial workers and its associated factors","volume":"61","author":"Almaayeh","year":"2018","journal-title":"Work"},{"key":"R21-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5254","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18105295","article-title":"Occupational noise-induced hearing loss among migrant workers in Kuwait","volume":"18","author":"Buqammaz","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"R22-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"919239","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.919239","article-title":"Hearing loss and its associated factors among metal workshop workers at Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia","volume":"10","author":"Melese","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"R23-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"604","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v25i1.45","article-title":"Influencing factors of neural tube malformation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"25","author":"Wu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Afr Health Sci"},{"key":"R24-20260326","first-page":"Cd006396","article-title":"Interventions to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss","volume":"7","author":"Tikka","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"R25-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1007\/s00420-015-1083-5","article-title":"Occupational noise exposure and hearing: a systematic review","volume":"89","author":"Lie","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int Arch Occup Environ Health"},{"key":"R26-20260326","first-page":"521","article-title":"The risk of hearing loss associated with occupational exposure to organic solvents mixture with and without concurrent noise exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"30","author":"Hormozi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Occup Med Environ Health"},{"key":"R27-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"392","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.22429","article-title":"Trends in worker hearing loss by industry sector, 1981\u20132010","volume":"58","author":"Masterson","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am J Ind Med"},{"key":"R28-20260326","first-page":"Cd005234","article-title":"Interventions to promote the wearing of hearing protection","author":"El Dib","year":"2012","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"R29-20260326","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1079","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare11081079","article-title":"The effect of noise exposure on high-frequency hearing loss among Chinese workers: a meta-analysis","volume":"11","author":"Yang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Healthcare (Basel)"}],"container-title":["Noise and Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/nah.nah_167_25","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T15:44:13Z","timestamp":1787067853000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/nah.nah_167_25"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"references-count":29,"journal-issue":{"issue":"130","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/nah.nah_167_25","relation":{},"ISSN":["1463-1741"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1463-1741","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-09-05","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-12-31","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}