A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN HEALTH BELIEFS, HEARING ACUITY AND USE OF HEARING PROTECTION IN NOISY WORK ENVIRONMENTS.
Contributors: Boston University.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 165
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This cross sectional study examined relationships between the health belief model (HBM) variables of perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers, hearing acuity, and self reports of use of hearing protection by workers in noisy environments. A convenience sample of 192 out of 216 potential subjects was drawn from noise exposed power generation plant workers during annual audiometric testing. Hearing acuity was measured by audiometry, HBM variables and self reports of hearing protection use were measured on the Worker Beliefs about Noise and Hearing Loss Questionnaire. Self reported use was measured by a horizontal Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and by Peruse, a simple linear scale marked from 100% to 0%, graded in increments of 10%.

Internal consistency scores of HBM subscales (Cronbach Alpha) were as follows: susceptibility.52; seriousness.30; benefits,.63; and, barriers.62. Paired t test comparisons between original and 3 week retest scores on 9.5% of the sample revealed no significant differences (p =$<$.05) for any variables except susceptibility.

Descriptive findings include: (1) 12% of subjects reported always using hearing protection and 7% never using it when they should; (2) subjects reported high levels of perceived susceptibility, severity, and benefits and low levels of barriers; (3) two thirds of subjects had hearing acuity impairment at a threshold of 25 dB or better in at least one frequency tested.

Stepwise multiple regression analysis, with a PIN value of p =$<$.05 for inclusion of variables, was utilized to examine relationships among study variables. Findings were that perceived barriers, susceptibility, benefits and hearing acuity accounted for 26% of the variance of Peruse, and that perceived barriers, susceptibility and hearing acuity accounted for 16% of the variance of VAS. When the regression equations on both dependent measures were repeated, adding age as a predictor, hearing acuity no longer entered the equations, indicating that age is a better predictor of self reported use of hearing protection in noisy work environments than level of hearing acuity.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-05, Section: B, page: 1850.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--BOSTON UNIVERSITY, 1989.

School code: 0017.