비직업 소음 노출 이력 설문지 개발

Development of Non-Occupational Noise Exposure Questionnaire

Purpose: The present study aimed to develop a self-reported questionnaire to screen any possibility of non-occupational noise exposure and to verify its reliability and validity. Methods: While considering various factors of the noise exposure, non-occupational noise exposure questionnaire (NONE-Q) was developed. It consisted of 23 questions with either yes/no answer or two/three/four/ten-point scales: ten questions for general issues related to hearing conditions, seven for usage of the personal listening device, and six for exposure frequency to noisy environments. A total of 104 young adults with normal hearing (53 females and 51 males) participated. They conducted pure-tone audiometry with extended high-frequency and distortion product otoacoustic emission as two hearing screening tests, and responded to the NONE-Q. All were retested 3 weeks later using the same questionnaire to confirm its reliability and validity. Results: The result of factor analysis showed a good construct validity. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient appeared to be 0.844 with a high level of reliability. Also, there was a significant test-retest correlation. Conclusion: The items of NONE-Q are appropriate based on good reliability and validity. In the following study, they should apply to evaluate people with suspecting noise-induced hearing loss and for the early detection of hidden hearing loss, in order to standardize sensitivity and specificity of the NONE-Q.