More than a billion young people are at risk for hearing loss because of listening to loud music at concerts and using earbuds and other personal listening devices, a new study suggests.

“There is an urgent need for governments, industry and civil society to prioritise global hearing loss prevention by promoting safe listening practices,” the authors said in a BMJ Global Health news release.

The researchers include Lauren Dillard, of the department of otolaryngology — head and neck surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston.

For the study, Ms Dillard and colleagues estimated the number of people at risk by gauging the prevalence of unsafe listening practices among teens and young adults.