Occupation and 20-year hearing decline: findings from The HUNT Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies show that certain occupations are associated with an increased risk of hearing loss. However, many studies are cross-sectional, and the few longitudinal studies are mostly small or focus on only one occupation. AIMS: We aimed to quantify the long-term hearing decline among workers in different occupations and assess whether the change differs between the occupations. METHODS: The study population was 4525 adults who participated in two population-based health studies in Norway, HUNT2 1996-1998 and HUNT4 2017-2019. Linear regression models assessed the association between occupations (clerks as reference) and 20-year hearing decline (hearing thresholds at 3-6 kHz, averaged over both ears) from HUNT2 to HUNT4. Models were adjusted for age, sex, recurrent ear infections, smoking and ear pathology. RESULTS: Among the participants (40% men), the mean age at HUNT2 was 31.2 ± 5.4 years (range 20-39) and the average 20-year hearing decline was 11.3 ± 9.8 dB. Occupations that were associated with larger hearing decline included other craft and related trades workers (3.9 dB, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2-7.7) and building frame and related trades workers (3.4 dB, 95% CI 1.3-5.4). Among occupations with larger hearing decline, a higher proportion of the workers reported exposure to noise. CONCLUSIONS: This large longitudinal study shows a larger long-term hearing decline among building frame workers and craft and related trades workers. Differences between occupations were modest, which may indicate successful preventive measures in Norway during the last two decades.

The interplay between cognitive ability, alcohol consumption, and health characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Higher cognitive ability is associated with favourable health characteristics. The relation between ability and alcohol consumption, and their interplay with other health characteristics, is unclear. We aimed to assess the relationship between cognitive ability and alcohol consumption and to assess whether alcohol consumption relates differently to health characteristics across strata of ability. METHODS: For 63 120 Norwegian males, data on cognitive ability in early adulthood were linked to midlife data on alcohol consumption frequency (times per month, 0-30) and other health characteristics, including cardiovascular risk factors and mental distress. Relations were assessed using linear regression and reported as unstandardised beta coefficients [95% confidence interval (CI)]. RESULTS: The mean ± s.d. frequency of total alcohol consumption in the sample was 4.0 ± 3.8 times per month. In the low, medium, and high group of ability, the frequencies were 3.0 ± 3.3, 3.7 ± 3.5, and 4.7 ± 4.1, respectively. In the full sample, alcohol consumption was associated with physical activity, heart rate, fat mass, smoking, and mental distress. Most notably, each additional day of consumption was associated with a 0.54% (0.44-0.64) and 0.14% (0.09-0.18) increase in the probability of current smoking and mental distress, respectively. In each strata of ability (low, medium, high), estimates were 0.87% (0.57-1.17), 0.48% (0.31-0.66) and 0.49% (0.36-0.62) for current smoking, and 0.44% (0.28-0.60), 0.10% (0.02-0.18), and 0.09% (0.03-0.15) for mental distress, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with low cognitive ability drink less frequently, but in this group, more frequent alcohol consumption is more strongly associated with adverse health characteristics.

Cosinor modelling of seasonal variation in 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in cardiovascular patients in Norway.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Seasonal variation may reduce the validity of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) as a biomarker of vitamin D status. Here we aimed to identify potential determinants of seasonal variation in 25OHD concentrations and to evaluate cosinor modelling as a method to adjust single 25OHD measurements for seasonal variation. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In Caucasian cardiovascular patients (1999-2004), we measured 25OHD by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in 4116 baseline and 528 follow-up samples. To baseline values, we fitted a cosinor model for monthly concentrations of 25OHD. Using the model, we estimated each patient's adjusted annual 25OHD value. Further, we studied how covariates affected the annual mean 25OHD concentration and seasonal variation of the study cohort. To evaluate the model, we predicted follow-up measurements with and without covariates and compared accuracy with carrying forward baseline values and linear regression adjusting for season, common approaches in research and clinical practice, respectively. RESULTS: The annual mean (59.6 nmol/l) was associated with participants' age, gender, smoking status, body mass, physical activity level, diabetes diagnosis, vitamin D supplement use and study site (adjusted models, P<0.05). Seasonal 25OHD variation was 15.8 nmol/l, and older age (>62 years) was associated with less variation (adjusted model, P=0.025). Prediction of follow-up measurements was more accurate with the cosinor model compared with the other approaches (P<0.05). Adding covariates to cosinor models did not improve prediction (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We find cosinor models suitable and flexible for analysing and adjusting for seasonal variation in 25OHD concentrations, which is influenced by age.