A risk model and nomogram for high-frequency hearing loss in noise-exposed workers

Background High-frequency hearing loss is a significant occupational health concern in many countries, and early identification can be effective for preventing hearing loss. The study aims to construct and validate a risk model for HFHL, and develop a nomogram for predicting the individual risk in noise-exposed workers. Methods The current research used archival data from the National Key Occupational Diseases Survey-Sichuan conducted in China from 2014 to 2017. A total of 32,121 noise-exposed workers completed the survey, of whom 80% workers (n = 25,732) comprised the training cohort for risk model development and 20% workers (n = 6389) constituted the validation cohort for model validation. The risk model and nomogram were constructed using binary logistic models. The effectiveness and calibration of the model were evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration plots, respectively. Results A total of 10.06% of noise-exposed workers had HFHL. Age (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.083-1.104), male sex (OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 2.85-3.702), noise exposure duration (NED) (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.093-1.201), and a history of working in manufacturing (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.314-1.713), construction (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.531-3.421), mining (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 2.238-3.081), or for a private-owned enterprise (POE) (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.202-1.476) were associated with an increased risk of HFHL (P < 0.05). Conclusions The risk model and nomogram for HFHL can be used in application-oriented research on the prevention and management of HFHL in workplaces with high levels of noise exposure.