Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40971380›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Health effects of occupational noise exposure on heavy-duty equipment operators and exposed workers in a mining firm in Ghana.

Francis Amanle Cudjoe, Douglas Aninng Opoku, Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng, Joseph Osarfo, Kofi Sekyere Boateng, Lydon Nii Adjiri Sackey, Edgar Andoh Cobbina, Isaac Kofi Yankson, Alhassan Sulemana

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Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

9 authors.

Francis Amanle CudjoeDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Douglas Aninng OpokuDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2321-387X
Nana Kwame Ayisi-BoatengUniversity Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0961-4434
Joseph OsarfoDepartment of Community Health, School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Health Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
Kofi Sekyere BoatengDepartment of Environmental Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Lydon Nii Adjiri SackeyDepartment of Environmental Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Edgar Andoh CobbinaDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Isaac Kofi YanksonCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research-Building and Road Research Institute, Kumasi, Ghana.
Alhassan SulemanaDepartment of Environmental Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9679-675X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe mining industry is one of the sectors that uses heavy-duty equipment in its daily operations. This exposes miners to undesirable noise levels, increasing their risks of health-related problems. However, published data on the health effects of occupational noise exposure on miners in Ghana are limited, and this can affect potential interventions to promote miners' health and safety. This study, therefore, assessed noise-exposure levels and associated health-related problems among heavy-duty equipment operators and other exposed workers in a mining firm in Ghana.

methodsA cross-sectional study involving 316 randomly selected heavy-duty equipment operators and exposed workers was conducted from 29th March 2023-31st May 2023. Data on socio-demographic and work-related characteristics, including age, mining experience, knowledge of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), noise exposure levels and health-related problems, were collected using a pretested questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to identify significant predictors of health-related problems.

resultsThe mean age of study participants was 33.8 (±7.5) years with a range of 21-60 years. The prevalence of health-related problems in the twelve months before the study was 55.7%. The commonly reported health-related problems included hearing difficulties (84.1%), hearing loss (49.4%), and sleeping difficulties (36.9%). Approximately 68.6% of the workers were exposed to noise levels that were unacceptable. After adjusting for significant covariates, factors such as working experience of 5-9 years (AOR: 4.25, 95%CI: 1.92-9.40), inadequate knowledge of NIHL (AOR:1.78, 95%CI: 1.03-3.09) and exposure to unacceptable noise levels (AOR = 5.52, 95%CI = 2.91-10.48) were independently associated with health-related problems.

conclusionThe prevalence of health-related problems among the workers was high. Potential strategies, including a hearing conservation program to promote health and safety among these workers at the workplace, should target reducing the exposure to high noise levels and increasing awareness of NIHL.

Indexed as

Hearing Loss, Noise-InducedMiningNoise, OccupationalOccupational DiseasesOccupational ExposureAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGhanaHumansMaleMiddle AgedMinersPrevalenceSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40971380
PMCPMC12448357

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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.