Gender-Stratified Prediction without Fixed Biological Categories
Abstract
A central question for occupational hearing-risk assessment is not simply whether an output is accurate, but whether it survives scrutiny of subgroup calibration. The article develops a research agenda through critical comparison of published evidence. The focal evidence concerns whether baseline hearing measurements can predict subsequent speech-frequency hearing loss in noise-exposed industrial workers. Subgroup models can improve local fit while encoding differences in exposure opportunity, selection, or measurement. A subgroup label is not a complete biological explanation. Examine within-group calibration and cross-group thresholds. Document how job allocation and follow-up alter the meaning of differences before attributing them to intrinsic traits. The proposed comparison concerns stratified models, job allocation, baseline thresholds; it would test whether the specific failure scenario is detected without erasing legitimate uncertainty. The original source's limits remain material: Limited follow-up, a smaller longitudinal sample, occupational selection, and untested prospective clinical impact constrain deployment claims.
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