Evaluation of Hearing Loss in Farmworkers, Texas- Mexico Border Area

描述(申请人提供)：职业性听力损失是美国最常见的职业病。它影响所有工人，不分年龄、性别或工业部门。噪音导致的听力损失是100%可以预防的，一旦获得，就是一种不可逆转的残疾。听力损失可能导致职业和经济困难，导致社会孤立和污名。在成年人和年轻人中，农业工作都与听力损失的高患病率有关。直接与紧张的田野工作和运输活动相关的农场工人有患听力损失的潜在风险。方法：首次确定农场工人群体中听力损失问题的严重程度，这可能导致设计适当的听力保护计划。这一目标将通过使用一种在经济上和后勤上切实可行的有效的西班牙语调查工具来实现，用于调查弱势群体的听力：讲西班牙语的农场工人。一项以人口为基础的对农场工人的研究(n=448)将根据访谈和听力测试来评估他们的听力发病率及其职业风险因素。数据分析将包括人口统计数据、工作历史、噪音和农药暴露、自我用药以及西班牙语版本的听力调查(HAS)。听力损失风险因素之间的关联强度将被评估为原始和调整后的优势比(OR)以及相应的95%相应的可信区间。显著因素将与Logistic回归一起用于预测听力损失(z.25db)。预期结果：基于这项研究，将为讲西班牙语的农场工人的听力保护和预防计划制定预防策略。将利用与听力损失有关的职业危害和对这些工人所遇到的具体任务的了解来制定一项针对这一人群的干预措施的行动计划。此外，这项研究的所有参与者都将接受有关个人防护装备(PPE)和听力损失的信息和教育，并将评估他们对使用PPE的看法。职业发展奖：首席调查员(PI)将评估农场工人中听力损失的流行率；开发一种具有成本效益的方法来评估听力损失，并在讲西班牙语的农场工人群体中提出预防策略。PI将扩大她在流行病学、统计学和听力保护领域的能力和专业知识。相关性：这项研究回应了国家职业研究议程(NORA)混合暴露研究议程，在特定部门的方法下解决了农业中的健康问题。并在以前的NORA研究优先领域中涉及：疾病和伤害下的听力损失；工作不足和环境中的特殊群体农场工人；以及通过开发一种有效的双语工具，根据研究工具和方法估计农场工人听力损失，改进了职业病跟踪。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Occupational hearing loss is the most common occupational disease in the United States. It affects all workers regardless of age, gender, or industrial sector. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable and once acquired it is an irreversible disability. Hearing loss may cause professional and financial difficulties leading to social isolation and stigmatization. Agriculture work has been associated with a high prevalence of hearing loss, both in adults and youth. Farmworkers directly associated with intense field work and transport activities, are potentially at risk for developing hearing loss. METHODS: To determine, for the first time, the magnitude of the problem of hearing loss in farmworker populations, which could lead to the design of appropriate hearing conservation programs. This goal will be achieved thorough use of a valid, Spanish survey instrument that is economically and logistically practical for use in investigations of hearing ability in a disadvantaged population: Spanish -speaking farmworkers. A population based study of farmworkers (n = 448) will assess their hearing morbidity and their occupational risk factors based on interviews and audiometric testing. Data analysis will include demographics, work history, noise and pesticide exposures, self medication, and the Spanish version of the Hearing Ability Survey (HAS). The strength of associations between hearing loss risks factors will be evaluated as the crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% corresponding confidence intervals. Significant factors will be used with logistic regression to predict hearing loss (z. 25db). EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Preventive strategies will be formulated for hearing conservation and prevention programs among Spanish speaking farmworkers based on this study. Occupational hazards associated with hearing loss and knowledge of the specific tasks encountered by these workers will be used to develop a plan of action to target interventions for this population. In addition, all participants in this study will receive information and education about personal protective equipment (PPE) and hearing loss and their perceptions regarding use of PPE will be assessed. CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD: The Principal Investigator (PI) will assess the prevalence of hearing loss among farm workers; develop a cost-effective means of evaluating hearing loss and to propose prevention strategies in a Spanish speaking farmworker population. PI will expand her competences and expertise in the areas of epidemiology, statistics and hearing conservation. RELEVANCE: This research responds to the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) mixed exposures research agenda by addressing health concerns in agriculture under the sector-specific approach. And addresses under previous NORA research priority areas: Hearing loss under Disease and Injury; farm workers who are a special population underwork and Environment; and improved tracking of occupational diseases by the development of a valid bilingual instrument for estimating hearing loss of farm workers under Research Tools and Approaches.