Sound immission during leisure activities and auditory behaviour

The purpose of this paper is to describe the especially implemented techniques and the appropriately calibrated equipment used to measure, along four years, the sound immission levels during two recreational activities – attendance at discos and use of musical personal player – of a group of adolescents and its relationship with their auditory behaviour and psychosocial variables. For the measurements at discos, an arrangement of miniaturised measuring instruments, as well as a personal noise dose meter was used. For the real sound levels in the ears themselves by using musical personal player, an instrumental line – manikin-technique – complying with international standards was used. An auditory study together with a psychosocial study was performed annually. The final results showed: (a) the adjusted descriptions of the real sound situations of the two recreational activities measured; (b) the hearing impairment along the time in a significant number of the adolescents who participated in the study.