Abstract

TEIXEIRA, Clarissa Stefani; KORBES, Daiane  and  ROSSI, Angela Garcia. Noise and balance: the dynamic posturography in a printing industry. Rev. CEFAC [online]. 2011, vol.13, n.1, pp. 92-101.  Epub Apr 23, 2010. ISSN 1516-1846.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-18462010005000016.

PURPOSE: to assess the body balance of individuals exposed to occupational noise in a printing industry. This is a descriptive, retrospective study. METHODS: the objective measurement of body balance was performed by the method of Dynamic Posturography, using the protocol of Sensorial Integration Tests. We evaluated the responses of 34 male subjects, divided into two groups, with 16 workers exposed to noise aged 45.81 ± 7.38 years and 16 subjects with no exposure to occupational noise aged 41.31 ± 5.58 years. The average exposure time was 20.00 ± 8.0046 years. The results were compared using the t test, considering statistically significant differences as the p value less than or equal to 0.05. RESULTS: all tests showed statistically significant differences among the groups, with individuals exposed to occupational noise showing demoted values of body balance in relation to non-exposed ones. CONCLUSION: the occupational noise exposure is associated with a worse performance in the assessment of balance in all conditions tested by Dynamic Posturography.

Keywords : Occupational Noise; Occupational Diseases; Postural Balance.