An occupational medicine specialist is reviewing health data from a large manufacturing corporation to evaluate the impact of chronic noise exposure on the development of sensorineural hearing loss.
The database includes a 5-year longitudinal cohort of 20,000 factory employees who had normal hearing at baseline. Occupational health records classify employees into two groups: those working in "high-noise" zones (exposed) and those working in administrative or "low-noise" zones (unexposed).
At the end of the 5-year period, audiometric testing yielded the following new-onset sensorineural hearing loss cases:
| Exposure Status | Total Employees in Group | New Hearing Loss Cases |
|---|---|---|
| High-Noise | 5,000 | 400 |
| Low-Noise | 15,000 | 600 |
The corporate medical director wants to determine the proportion of all incident cases of sensorineural hearing loss in the entire workforce that could theoretically be prevented if high-noise exposure were completely eliminated.
What is the population attributable risk percent (PAR%) of sensorineural hearing loss due to high-noise exposure in this workforce? (Express your answer as a whole number).
Cevap: 20 %