ABSTRACT
Background: Exposure to loud music from sources such as portable music players [PMP], especially among adolescents, can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. The aims of this study are as follows: 1] investigate the prevalence of headphone use in Iranian University students by assessing their behavior, 2] determine the type of headphones used, and 3] ascertain the type of music player used
Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 250 students from Hamadan University of medical sciences and health services were randomly selected to fill out a questionnaire
Results: Overall, 91.2% of students were found to use headphones, 10.4% of which used headphones more than 1 hour a day, and 52% of them used volume setting higher than three fourths of the output capacity. The most common music player was a mobile phone, and the most common headphone type was the inserted type. Tinnitus was reported among 34.4% of users following the use of personal music player
Conclusion: The use of personal music players amongst students was found to be very high in the study setting