Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41290829›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Earphone use habits and their association with auditory and dermatologic complications.

Azzam Alkhalifah, Amal Hussein Mohammed, Norah Ahmad Alswoailem, Mohsina Huq, Sultan Alenazi, Mishaal Abdallah Alrshed, Hatem Mohammed Alturki, Ahmad Abdulaziz Almatroudi, Hajed Obaid Alharbi, Basmah F Alharbi

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In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

10 authors.

Azzam AlkhalifahDepartment of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, 56219, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. Az.alkhalifah@qu.edu.sa.
Amal Hussein MohammedDepartment of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Norah Ahmad AlswoailemDepartment of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohsina HuqDepartment of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Sultan AlenaziDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia.
Mishaal Abdallah AlrshedLaboratory and Blood Bank, Microbiology Department, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, 52388, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.
Hatem Mohammed AlturkiAudiology Department, King Saud Hospital, Qassim Health Cluster, 51911, Unayzah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad Abdulaziz AlmatroudiDepartment of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Hajed Obaid AlharbiDepartment of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 51452, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Basmah F AlharbiDepartment of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, 52571, Almulaida, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Earphones have gained popularity worldwide over the last few years. Despite its usefulness, it may lead to serious harmful effects that disturb the normal hearing process. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 males and females in the Qassim region in Saudi Arabia. Samples were collected from participants' earphones and cultured using different agars. We compiled a questionnaire consisting of 11 elements (age, gender, duration use, and symptoms) and measured the hearing level of participants by Diagnostic Audiometric Device. Microsoft Excel 2024 and SPSS version 29 were used to input and analyze the gathered data. 16% of female samples and 24% of male samples were positive for bacterial isolates from the earphones. There was no growth of fungi. Among the study population, (57.7%) of females and (42.3%) of males are having symptoms due to long-duration use of earphones, p-value (0.258). A statistically significant correlation was found between having symptoms and sharing the earphones with others, p-value (0.037). There were 7 participants out of 30 who had abnormal hearing test results. In conclusion, most of our population are aware of the hygiene of the earphones but not the duration and level of sound. Therefore, it's essential to raise awareness of the appropriate and correct way to use earphones.

Indexed as

Skin DiseasesAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHabitsHumansMaleMiddle AgedSaudi ArabiaSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAudiometryBacteriaEarphonesPrevalenceProspective study

Identifiers

PMID41290829
PMCPMC12647826

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Registered trials

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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.