Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a sensorineural hearing loss in the form of a progressive and irreversible decrease in hearing functions due to noise exposure. This study aims to examine the effects of the use of earphones on the incidence of NIHL. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of the length of exposure, frequency, duration, and volume level in the use of earphones on the incidence of NIHL. Method: This study is an observational analytical study with a cross-sectional design and a sample of 378 students. Data were collected using the Hearing Handicap Inventory - Questionnaire (HHI-Q) to obtain primary data that have been developed and validated as a tool to identify the hearing loss of high school students in Banda Aceh. Multivariate analysis is used to test the hypothesis. Results: Our results found that the students who did not have a major hearing loss were using earphones for a period of exposure of < 2 years, and amounted to 72 students (51.43%), those using them every 1 to 3 days amounted to 116 students (82.86%), those using earphones for < 1 hour amounted to 110 students (78.57%), and having the volume at < 60% amounted to 116 students (82.86%). The majority of students (117 students or 65%) who had a degree of hearing loss used earphones for a period of > 5 years, 66 students (36.67%) used earphones for 6 to 7 days each week, 84 students (46.67%) used earphones for more than one hour a day, and 87 students (48.33%) had the volume on their earphones set at more than 60%. Conclusion: The length of exposure, frequency, duration, and volume in the use of earphones all significantly affect the incidence of NIHL. The longer the length of exposure to earphones, the more frequent the use of earphones, a longer duration of earphone use each day, and listening with a high volume level tend to cause the users to experience mild or even severe hearing loss.

Keywords : Earphone, HHI-Q, Noise-induced hearing loss, Sensorineural.