Effectiveness of interventions promoting hearing health or preventing music-induced hearing loss and/or other auditory symptoms related to musical practice: A Systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33871/2317417X.2025.22.10839Keywords:
music, students, hearing loss, noise-induced, Health PromotionAbstract
This research discusses the effectiveness of educational programs and preventive interventions aimed at promoting hearing health among musicians. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the risk of hearing loss due to noise exposure, including among musicians, where the prevalence of music-induced hearing loss (MIHL) can be significant. We emphasize the need for multidisciplinary approaches, integrating fields such as Music and Audiology, to mitigate these risks. The systematic review, conducted in line with the PRISMA 2020 protocol, focused on studies that evaluated the impact of hearing health interventions on musicians. The review identified four relevant studies, mostly from the United States and Australia, published between 2014 and 2022. These studies primarily focused on the use of hearing protection devices and educational programs to prevent hearing loss. The interventions showed effectiveness in increasing knowledge about hearing protection, changing harmful behaviors, and adopting safe practices. We concluded that while existing studies are limited in number and geographic scope, they demonstrate the efficacy of these programs. More research, especially targeting university music students, are important to develop more comprehensive and effective hearing health interventions tailored to the unique needs of musicians.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Milena Kovalski, Pierângela Nota Simões, Noémie Néron, Michelle Yeung, Débora Lüders, Adriana Bender Moreira de Lacerda
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