Abstract:
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is a global public health problem; occupational noise deafness is the second most prevalent occupational disease in China. A China-contextualized ONIHL prevention and control system has not yet established. In this issue, the column "Noise kurtosis adjustment and prevention and control of occupational hearing loss" introduced a preliminary study on developing a statistical distribution table of hearing threshold deviation values for otologically normal Chinese population, revealed the role of C-weighted kurtosis in assessing occupational hearing loss, and put forward the effect threshold of kurtosis for occupational hearing loss caused by non-steady noise. The adjustment terms and adjustment coefficients of the kurtosis-adjusted equivalent sound level estimated by nonlinear regression were explored, and the research progress on epidemiological characteristics of ONIHL based on temporal structure (kurtosis), theoretical research, and key technologies for prevention and control and their applications in China were outlined. Research suggestions were proposed regarding theoretical research, mechanism research, technology creation, cohort study, and standard formulation and revision.