HISPANICS AND NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS

描述：（改编自研究者摘要）初步 有证据表明，西班牙裔，其中一个增长最快的部分， 美国劳动力是一个特殊的人群，有职业风险。 听力损失 听力损失可能对西班牙裔人产生毁灭性的影响 由于语言和文化的障碍。 迫切需要掌握 更好地了解西班牙裔噪音引起的听力损失的程度， 影响西班牙裔使用听力保护的因素， 这一人群的生物力学易感性，以及听力的影响， 对西班牙工人的伤害。 这项针对125名西班牙裔和非西班牙裔工人的试点研究将探讨， 通过对听力敏锐度和阈值偏移的横截面研究， 听力状况的种族差异，噪声暴露，听力使用 保护，血液中的抗氧化剂水平和葡萄糖耐量。 它将 描述西班牙裔美国人噪声性听力损失的影响， 更大规模的研究和改进的干预试验的阶段。 研究 将使用文化敏感的双语问卷， 传统的测听和较新的听力评估技术（失真 产品耳声发射），以测试假设：西班牙裔是一个 噪声性听力损失的特殊风险人群，部分原因是 不成比例的噪音暴露;语言和文化障碍使 西班牙裔不太可能佩戴听力保护装置;维生素C和 维生素E缺乏和葡萄糖耐量受损使西班牙裔人容易患上 噪声引起的听力损失;听力损失的影响是 由于语言/文化问题，在西班牙裔中被放大。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Investigator's Abstract) Preliminary evidence indicates that Hispanics, one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. workforce, are a special population at risk for occupational hearing loss. Hearing loss can have a devastating effect on the Hispanic worker due to language and cultural barriers. There is a critical need for better understanding of the extent of Hispanic noise-induced hearing loss, factors affecting Hispanics' use of hearing protection, the possible role of biomechanical susceptibility in this population, and the impact of hearing impairment on the Hispanic worker. This pilot study of 125 Hispanic and non-Hispanic workers will explore, through a cross-sectional study of hearing acuity and threshold shifts, ethnic differences in hearing status, noise exposures, use of hearing protection, blood levels of antioxidants, and glucose tolerance. It will characterize the impact of noise-induced hearing loss in Hispanics to set the stage for larger studies and improved intervention trials. The study will use a culturally sensitive, bilingual questionnaire and both traditional audiometry and newer hearing assessment technology (distortion product otoacoustic emissions) to test the hypotheses that: Hispanics are a population at special risk for noise-induced hearing loss partly due to disproportionate noise exposure; language and cultural barriers make Hispanics less likely to wear hearing protective devices; Vitamin C and Vitamin E deficiency and impaired glucose tolerance predispose Hispanics to noise-induced hearing loss; and the impact of hearing impairment is magnified in Hispanics due to language/cultural issues.