Mapping Global Research Trends on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Fishermen: A Bibliometric Analysis from a Behavioral Perspective

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) represents a critical occupational health challenge globally, affecting millions of workers across diverse sectors, yet it remains inadequately studied within maritime fishing communities. Despite extensive research in industrial and military contexts, the behavioral dimensions of NIHL among fishermen remain substantially underexplored in the scientific literature. This study aims to map the development of scientific trends on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among fishermen, with a particular focus on behavioral perspectives, using a bibliometric analysis approach. The analysis was conducted on 1,000 scientific publications indexed between 2021 and 2025, sourced from Crossref and Publish or Perish. Bibliometric methods were employed to identify publication trends, prolific authors, leading journals, major publishers, document types, thematic keywords, and patterns of author collaboration. The findings indicate that although NIHL has been widely studied, research has predominantly concentrated on medical approaches and formal sector contexts such as industry and the military. In contrast, behavioral dimensions and occupational contexts specific to fishermen remain underexplored. The study also found that most publications appeared in specialist audiology journals managed by major publishers such as Elsevier and Springer. This study concludes that a significant gap exists in the global literature regarding NIHL in fishermen, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate behavioral work perspectives. The findings serve as an initial contribution toward strengthening context-specific and community-based approaches in the study of hearing disorders caused by occupational noise exposure.