Quality of work life and its link to quality of life by noise-exposed workers

Objective: It was aimed to evaluate both the quality of work-life and quality of life of factory workers working in noisy environments by using the quality of work-life scale and the WHOQOL-BREF (TR) scale and to examine the correlation of the two scales. The secondary aim of our study is to draw attention to the negative impact of noise induced hearing loss on quality of life and the necessity of measures to protect individual workers. Material and Method: Forty participants aged between 18-45 with and without noise-induced hearing loss (20 participants) were included in the study. Pure tone audiometry tests were performed on the participants. Then, they were asked to answer the WHOQOL BREF (TR) and Quality of Work Life Scale items. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the years of work, quality of life, and quality of work-life scores between participants with and without hearing loss. Moderate to strong correlations were observed between the scales assessing the quality of life and work-life. Conclusion: Occupational noise is an important risk factor for hearing loss in workers. Considering that the quality of life of workers exposed to noise is adversely affected, it is necessary to determine the noise exposure, evaluate the negative psychological effects of noise and reduce exposure to noise if necessary.