Exposure To Noise At The Workplace Of Fitness Instructors And Its Impact On Their Hearing

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of noise-induced hearing loss among fitness instructors. The study comprised 30 instructors working in fitness clubs. Full-day measurement strategy according to PN-EN ISO 9612:2012 was applied for evaluating their individual noise exposures during sport activities. The standard pure-tone audiometry was performed before and immediately after the end of the exercises to assess the temporary threshold shifts (TTS) of hearing. Fitness instructors were exposed to noise at A-weighted equivalent-continuous sound pressure level (LAeq,T) ranged up to 96 dB. Typical fitness exercises lasted from 1 to 2 hours, thus instructors' daily noise exposure levels did not exceed 90 dB. The exposure to noise during fitness exercises is high enough to cause TTS and may lead hearing impairment in case of long-term and repeated exposures. The study is supported by the funds of the Polish Ministry of Health as a part of National Health Programme (project no. 6/4/3.1h/NPZ/2016/312/1659/a).