Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of on-duty death among firefighters (FFs). Exposure to excessive noise is associated with CVD, such as coronary heart disease and hypertension, particularly in occupational settings. FFs are routinely exposed to high levels of intermittent noise as part of their jobs, and thus may be at risk for increased CVD. Even though several studies have shown a link between noise exposure and CVD, no such studies have ever been conducted with FFs. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the association between occupational noise exposure and CVD among career FFs to guide preventive intervention development to reduce FFs’ cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenient sample of 152 FFs (mean age = 43.6 years, 77.6% White) working in Northern California in USA. A web-based survey data was collected on demographics/work factors, noise factors, and CVD. Noise factors included in perceived noise exposure, noise-induced hearing loss, and perceived hearing status.
Results:
Of the participants, 29.6% had any heart/cardiovascular health problems; 14.5% had hypertension, 11.8% had other CVD such as arrhythmia and tachycardia, and 17.1% took any medication related to CVD. Exposure to loud noise (> 50% of the time) (OR=3.287; 95% CI: 0.829-13.039) showed a marginally significant increased likelihood of CVD (p=.091). Compared with FFs with normal hearing, FFs with hearing loss were more likely to have CVD (OR=3.176; 95% CI: 1.155-8.73). Also, those who reported bad hearing status (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 0.933-5.375) tended to be more likely to have CVD (p=.071) compared to those who perceived their hearing to be good.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study indicate that FFs’ noise factors (hearing status and noise exposure) may be important risk factors for CVD. Control of noise exposure in both occupational and non-occupational environments should be considered in designing effective health promotion programs for reducing CVD among FFs.