Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39986839›Full record

ArticleJournal of safety research2025

Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed U.S. workers within the Construction sector, 2010-2019.

Elizabeth A Masterson, Christa L Themann

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of safety research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Elizabeth A MastersonNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1090 Tusculum Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45226, United States. Electronic address: EMasterson@cdc.gov.
Christa L ThemannNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1090 Tusculum Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45226, United States.

Funding

Intramural CDC HHS CC999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe purpose of this cross-sectional study is to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed U.S. workers during 2010-2019 within the Construction sector.

methodsAudiograms for 26,653 workers at 833 Construction companies (and for 1.3 million other workers) were examined. Period prevalence and adjusted risk for hearing loss as compared with a reference industry (Couriers and Messengers) were estimated for the Construction sector and sub-sectors, and all industries combined.

resultsThe prevalence of hearing loss within the Construction sector was 23% compared to 20% for all industries combined. Several sub-sectors exceeded the overall prevalence and all but two had adjusted risks significantly higher than the reference industry. The sub-sectors with the highest prevalences for hearing loss were: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (28%), Site Preparation Contractors (26%), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except Operative Builders) (25%), Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction (25%), and Other Building Finishing Contractors (25%). The sub-sectors with the highest adjusted risks were Industrial Building Construction; Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction; Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction; Finish Carpentry Contractors; and Site Preparation Contractors; with risks 62%, 61%, 60%, 59% and 58% higher than the reference industry, respectively.

conclusionsHearing loss continues to be a significant issue within Construction. Reducing noise exposure is critical, including buying quieter equipment, keeping moving parts oiled and well-maintained, enclosing noise sources, and employing administrative controls to reduce the number of workers in noisy areas. Barriers to workers consistently and correctly wearing their hearing protection also need to be addressed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Within Construction, hazardous noise is common and the risk of hearing loss is high. This study identified the Construction sub-sectors with the highest prevalences and risks to guide interventions toward workers most in need of prevention and described strategies for reducing exposures.

Indexed as

Construction IndustryHearing Loss, Noise-InducedNoise, OccupationalOccupational DiseasesOccupational ExposureAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceUnited StatesBuilding tradesCarpentryContractorsHazardous noiseHeavy equipmentHighway and street constructionOccupational hearing lossSite preparationSurveillance

Identifiers

PMID39986839
PMCPMC11959629

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.