EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPUTER-BASED HEARING TEST & TRAINING

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Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), the most common occupational disease in the U. S. (NIOSH, 1996a), is an irreversible hearing impairment, causing significant monetary and personal costs. Consistent use of hearing protective devices (HPDs) reduces noise exposure and subsequent NIHL. Unfortunately, workers are not consistently wearing HPDs. Attention needs to be directed toward identifying the most effective ways to assist workers in adopting the use of HPDs. The purpose of this project is to prevent NIHL in operating engineers (OEs), construction workers who operate heavy equipment, by testing the effectiveness of an innovative tailored intervention to increase their use of HPDs. Four specific aims will be addressed in this study: (1) design and test the effectiveness of an innovative intervention for OEs to increase their use of HPDs; (2) determine prevalence of hearing loss in OEs; (3) demonstrate the feasibility of providing computer-based self-administrated audiometric screening tests (SAAST) and hearing protection interventions at a construction worker training center; and (4) test and refine the Predictors of Use of Hearing Protection Model (PUHPM), a causal model designed to explain use of HPDs by OEs. To achieve these aims, this proposed project will be conducted in three phases, (I) pre-study development of intervention, (II) intervention study, and (III) post-study evaluation of intervention. In Phase I, qualitative data on OEs' perceptions, opinions, and attitudes on use of HPDs will be obtained through focus groups to guide development and refinement of an intervention. This intervention and the SAAST will be pilot tested and revised as needed. Phase II will test the effectiveness of an individually tailored, interactive, multimedia intervention combined with the SAAST and delivered by computer and contrast it with a control intervention. Phase III will obtain workers' feedback on the SAAST and the experimental intervention to guide revisions in the program in preparation for national distribution. This proposed study will deliver the intervention in an innovative format, building on recent research findings regarding the effectiveness of individually tailored interventions. Further, this proposed project will assess the feasibility of providing computer-based SAAST at a training center. Results from the proposed project will provide a model for future intervention research in occupational safety and health area and aid in reducing a serious preventable impairment, NIHL.