Safe Listening at Concerts: What U.S. Adults Think About Protecting Their Hearing

Nearly one in four U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 (24.4%) show signs of noise-induced hearing loss, and among those exposed to noise outside work, 19.9% show possible noise-induced hearing loss. Noise away from the job can be substantial: loud music from personal devices and entertainment venues may put more than 1 billion teenagers and young adults worldwide at risk, and early exposure to noise may raise the risk of age-related hearing loss later in life.

CDC analyzed the 2022 FallStyles survey to learn how U.S. adults feel about protecting hearing at concerts and other events where amplified music is the main attraction.

The survey

FallStyles, run by Porter Novelli through Ipsos's KnowledgePanel from September 1 to 24, 2022, is a nationally representative internet panel. It drew 4,514 adults aged 18 and older, a 78.1% response rate, weighted to match the U.S. population on eight characteristics. Panel members were recruited by mail, so people without landlines or internet were included; households got a laptop or tablet and internet access if needed. Respondents rated three statements about indoor and outdoor music venues and events on a five-point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

What people said

Agreement with three actions to protect hearing at music venues and events among U.S. adults, 2022. CDC, MMWR.

After adjusting for other factors, agreement differed by group (figures are adjusted odds ratios):

• Sex. Women agreed more than men with limiting sound (1.2) and posting warnings (1.5).
• Age. Adults 63 and older agreed more than younger adults with limiting sound (2.3), posting warnings (1.4) and wearing protection (1.4). Adults aged 33–47 and 48–62 agreed less that warning signs should be posted (0.6 and 0.7).
• Race and ethnicity. Compared with White adults, Black adults agreed less with limiting sound levels (0.8), and Hispanic adults agreed more with warning signs (1.3).
• Education. Support for limiting sound and wearing protection rose steadily with schooling. Compared with adults who had not finished high school, those with a high school diploma, some college or an associate degree, or a bachelor's degree or more agreed more with limiting sound (1.5, 2.1 and 3.1) and wearing protection (1.5, 1.9 and 2.8). Only those with some college or a bachelor's degree or more agreed more with warning signs (1.5 and 2.4).
• Income and place. People with household incomes over $150,000 agreed more with warning signs than those under $25,000 (1.4). Region and metropolitan status made little difference, except that metropolitan residents agreed more with warning signs (1.5).

Intent is not action

U.S. adults appear largely aware of the risk from loud concerts and events, and encouragingly open to protective steps. The authors suggest aiming hearing-protection education at people under 63, and raising awareness about limiting sound and posting warnings among younger, Black and Hispanic adults.

But saying and doing are different. In an earlier Porter Novelli survey, about 80% of U.S. adults said they never or seldom used hearing protection at loud sports or entertainment events, and another 10% used it only some of the time or about half the time. Interventions that turn intentions into behavior are needed, and Healthy People 2030, the nation's public health agenda, aims to increase the share of adults who use hearing protection around loud sound.

What WHO recommends

In 2022 WHO published a Global Standard recommending that sound at venues and events be kept to no more than 100 dB(A) averaged over any 15-minute period, measured as the equivalent continuous sound level: the steady level carrying the same total energy as the fluctuating sound. WHO set the limit to cut unnecessarily hazardous levels while leaving room for artistic expression and enjoyment, and acknowledged that it cannot remove every risk of hearing injury, especially for people who often attend loud music events. The standard's suggested measures include the three in this survey: limiting sound, posting warnings where sound could exceed safe levels, and offering hearing protection such as earplugs, with instructions.

Limitations: answers were self-reported and based on people's own sense of loudness and risk; the survey did not ask whether or how often people attend loud music events; and weighting may not fully correct bias in an internet panel.

Protecting your hearing

Music-induced hearing loss is entirely preventable. Turning the volume down, wearing hearing protection and taking breaks from noise all help, and health professionals can draw on materials from WHO, CDC and professional organizations to help people understand the risks and enjoy music for a lifetime.

Sources

• Eichwald J, Themann CL, Scinicariello F. "Safe Listening at Venues and Events with Amplified Music — United States, 2022." MMWR 72(13). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7213a3.htm
• WHO, Make Listening Safe: https://www.who.int/activities/making-listening-safe; CDC noise-induced hearing loss toolkit: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/toolkit; Dangerous Decibels: http://dangerousdecibels.org/; Hearing Health Foundation: https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/keeplistening
• WHO's statements about its standard are paraphrased here.
• Words on this page from people and organisations outside the federal government are paraphrased; rewritten in hubnx's own words.