Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset
Abstract Background To assess whether call center operators are subject to or suffer from any auditory fatigue when compared to normal subjects. A prospective case-control study where twenty-eight call center operators (10 females and 18 males) with an age range from 25 to 46 years and twenty contro...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2020-10-01
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| Series: | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43163-020-00044-y |
| _version_ | 1797204052543537152 |
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| author | Pretty Omar Afifi Tayseer Taha Tayseer Abdel Rahman Ahmed Gamal Khafagy |
| author_facet | Pretty Omar Afifi Tayseer Taha Tayseer Abdel Rahman Ahmed Gamal Khafagy |
| author_sort | Pretty Omar Afifi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background To assess whether call center operators are subject to or suffer from any auditory fatigue when compared to normal subjects. A prospective case-control study where twenty-eight call center operators (10 females and 18 males) with an age range from 25 to 46 years and twenty controls (12 females and 8 males) with an age range from 23 to 44 years were included. All call center operators use a headset for up to 8 h daily for a minimum of two consecutive years. Audiological assessments were done to all participants that included pure tone audiometry (PTA), speech audiometry, tympanometry, and acoustic reflexes. Moreover, transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) absolute threshold and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) signal to noise thresholds as well as contralateral suppression of TEOAEs and DPOAEs were recorded for both groups. Results There was no significant variation in auditory performances detected with either PTA or OAE (TEOAEs and DPOAEs) test. Besides, there was no statistically significant difference in OAEs (TEOAEs and DPOAEs) with contralateral suppression for both the call center operators and control groups. However, call center operators expressed a feeling of tiredness. Conclusions There was no detectable central or peripheral auditory fatigue experienced by the call center operators when using headsets. However, their sensation of auditory fatigue could be due to cognitive fatigue rather than noise-induced fatigue. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:29:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74a6795c00e6429089e56a1a209a402c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1012-5574 2090-8539 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:29:06Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology |
| spelling | doaj.art-74a6795c00e6429089e56a1a209a402c2024-04-16T20:56:31ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology1012-55742090-85392020-10-013611610.1186/s43163-020-00044-yAuditory fatigue among call center operators with headsetPretty Omar Afifi0Tayseer Taha Tayseer Abdel Rahman1Ahmed Gamal Khafagy2Otorhinolaryngology Department, Ain Shams University, Faculty of medicineOtorhinolaryngology Department, Ain Shams University, Faculty of medicineOtorhinolaryngology Department, Ain Shams UniversityAbstract Background To assess whether call center operators are subject to or suffer from any auditory fatigue when compared to normal subjects. A prospective case-control study where twenty-eight call center operators (10 females and 18 males) with an age range from 25 to 46 years and twenty controls (12 females and 8 males) with an age range from 23 to 44 years were included. All call center operators use a headset for up to 8 h daily for a minimum of two consecutive years. Audiological assessments were done to all participants that included pure tone audiometry (PTA), speech audiometry, tympanometry, and acoustic reflexes. Moreover, transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) absolute threshold and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) signal to noise thresholds as well as contralateral suppression of TEOAEs and DPOAEs were recorded for both groups. Results There was no significant variation in auditory performances detected with either PTA or OAE (TEOAEs and DPOAEs) test. Besides, there was no statistically significant difference in OAEs (TEOAEs and DPOAEs) with contralateral suppression for both the call center operators and control groups. However, call center operators expressed a feeling of tiredness. Conclusions There was no detectable central or peripheral auditory fatigue experienced by the call center operators when using headsets. However, their sensation of auditory fatigue could be due to cognitive fatigue rather than noise-induced fatigue.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43163-020-00044-yAuditory fatigueCall centerOtoacoustic emission, Efferent pathway |
| spellingShingle | Pretty Omar Afifi Tayseer Taha Tayseer Abdel Rahman Ahmed Gamal Khafagy Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology Auditory fatigue Call center Otoacoustic emission, Efferent pathway |
| title | Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset |
| title_full | Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset |
| title_fullStr | Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset |
| title_full_unstemmed | Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset |
| title_short | Auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset |
| title_sort | auditory fatigue among call center operators with headset |
| topic | Auditory fatigue Call center Otoacoustic emission, Efferent pathway |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43163-020-00044-y |
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