Introduction:

Long commute times are common in big cities.

Objective:

To determine hearing thresholds and their association with commute time in Mexico City.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study that included 177 healthy adults from 2009 to 2011. Demographic information and commute times were recorded. Hearing was assessed by audiometry. Regression models were constructed to determine the predictors of hearing thresholds.

Results:

There were 101 men (53 %) and 76 women (43 %). Mean commute time was 43 minutes (1 to 150 minutes). A hearing threshold drop was observed at 4000 Hz, with recovery at 8000 Hz in both ears when patients were stratified by gender and age groups. A commute time > 40 min/day increased the hearing threshold at 4000 Hz (β = 2.96 dB HL, p < 0.01). Men had higher thresholds (β = 2.6 dB HL), as older subjects also did: 25 to 34 years, β = 2.2 dB HL; 35 to 44 years, β = 5.2 dB HL; and ≥ 45 years, β = 8.3 dB HL.

Conclusion:

The hearing pattern, although normal, resembled that of noise-induced hearing loss, associated with long commute times.