Chapter 2 56 Abstract Objective Hearing screening can be used to detect occupational hearing loss, but its value for identifying employees with work functioning difficulties is unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the association between the hearing status, listening effort, and need for recovery in employees of a manufacturing company, and to examine whether these associations depend on the perceived noise level at the workplace. Methods Employees of a provider of paints and coatings were included. Their hearing status was assessed with an occupational hearing-in-noise screening test. An online survey was used to assess their listening effort, need for recovery and the perceived noise level at the workplace. Responses from 143 employees were analyzed (mean age = 53 years) using hierarchical multiple regression analysis with the outcomes listening effort and need for recovery. Results Regression analysis – with adjustments for gender, age, educational level, health status, pace/amount of work, job variety, and work pleasure – revealed that hearing status was significantly associated with listening effort, but the interaction between hearing status and the subjective noise level was not. Hearing status nor the interaction between hearing status and the subjective noise level were significantly associated with need for recovery. Conclusion In line with previous research, the results confirm that poorer hearing is associated with higher listening effort, but not with higher need for recovery.These associations were unrelated to the perceived noise level at the workplace. Therefore, the value of occupational hearing screening appears to be early identification of hearing loss in employees, but not identification work functioning difficulties.
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