Effectiveness of an Intervention to Prevent Hearing Loss Among Farmers

描述(申请人提供)：听力损失和耳鸣在美国很普遍，而噪声暴露是导致听力损失的主要原因。这种类型的听力损失称为噪声性听力损失(NIHL)。NIHL对受影响个人的生活质量有负面影响，影响身体和情感功能、社会生活和就业。此外，NIHL给所有族裔和社会经济群体的家庭和社区造成了沉重的社会和经济负担。农民是NIHL风险特别高的群体，旨在限制这种风险的计划没有为他们提供足够的服务。他们是接触噪声最多的工人群体之一，在所有职业类别中，他们经历了第二高的NIHL患病率。在农业，150万工人(43.3%)报告暴露在危险噪音中。尽管使用听力保护装置(HPD)可以保护他们免受NIHL的伤害，但农民的使用率很低。本项目的目的是比较几种影响HPD使用的方法的有效性。本研究的目标是进一步开发一种促进农民使用HPD的干预措施，并将所开发的干预措施与以不同组合提供的影响HPD使用行为的两种替代方法的有效性进行比较。这项研究将确定是否可以通过一次网络干预或HPD供应干预实现HPD使用的显著变化。结果将决定是否需要对未来的计划进行修改，例如，纳入Booster(S)。该项目将包括密歇根大学护理学院，一个主要的农民组织，和健康传播研究中心之间的合作伙伴关系，以实现项目目标。这项干预措施的RCT测试旨在确定改善参与者使用HPD的最有效方法。这项研究的结果将被用来为未来的RTP研究提供信息，以增加HPD的使用。增加HPD的使用预计将降低NIHL的发生率和高噪声暴露的其他负面影响，并改善这一高危和服务不足群体的生活质量。 与公共健康相关：尽管噪音导致的听力损失影响高达78%的农民，并可以通过使用听力保护来预防，但绝大多数农民不使用它(或使用频率太低而无效)。这项基于网络的创新干预措施的随机对照试验旨在确定增加农民使用听力保护的最有效方法。持续使用HPD有望降低噪声导致的听力损失和高噪声暴露的其他负面影响，并改善这一高危和服务不足群体的生活质量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hearing loss and tinnitus are prevalent in America, and noise exposure is a leading cause of hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is known as Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). NIHL has negative impact on the quality of life of the affected individual, affecting physical and emotional functioning, social life, and employment. In addition, NIHL results in heavy social and economic burdens on families and communities from all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Farmers are a group that is particularly high risk for NIHL, and is underserved by programs designed to limit that risk. They are among the most noise-exposed group of workers, and experience the second highest prevalence of NIHL among all occupational categories. In agriculture, 1.5 million workers (43.3%) report exposure to hazardous noise. Although use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) would protect them from NIHL, use among farmers is low. The purpose of this project is to compare the effectiveness of several approaches to influencing HPD use. The goals of this study are to further develop an intervention to promote farmers' use of HPDs, and compare the effectiveness of the developed intervention with two alternative approaches influencing HPD use behavior, delivered in various combinations. This study will determine if significant change in HPD use can be achieved in one-shot web-based or HPD-supply intervention. Results will determine the need for future program modification, e.g., inclusion of booster(s). This project will involve a partnership between the University Of Michigan School Of Nursing, a major farmer organization, and the Center for Health Communication Research to accomplish project aims. This RCT test of interventions is designed to determine the most effective approach to improving participants' HPD use. Results of this study will be used to inform future RTP studies to increase HPD use. Increased use of HPDs is expected to reduce rates of NIHL and other negative effects of high noise exposure, and improve quality of life in this high-risk and underserved group. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Although noise-induced hearing loss affects as much as 78% of farmers, and can be prevented with the use of hearing protection, the overwhelming majority of farmers does not use it (or use it too infrequently to be effective). This randomly-controlled trial of innovative web-based interventions is designed to determine the most effective approach to increase farmers' use of hearing protection. Consistent use of HPDs is expected to reduce rates of noise-induced hearing loss and other negative effects of high noise exposure, and improve quality of life in this high-risk and underserved group.