Effectiveness of Hearing Loss Prevention Education for Active Duty Military Personnel: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Purpose The combination of effective hearing health education and hearing protection establishes a strong foundation of hearing loss prevention efforts in the military; however, it is not clear which elements of the educational materials used in hearing loss prevention programs are the most effective in preventing noise-induced hearing loss. To explore this question, a cohort of Excellence in Government Fellowship participants and the Army Hearing Program conducted a preliminary study examining two hearing health education materials. Method A convenience sample of active duty personnel reviewed a hearing health education Technical Guide and video, developed by the military for hearing conservation programs. A “pre- and posteducation” questionnaire was administered to assess the participants' knowledge regarding hearing protection, causes of noise-induced hearing loss, effects of noise on hearing, noise exposure both on and off duty, and satisfaction with educational materials provided during the session. Results Short-term learning effects from the educational materials was achieved for some knowledge-based items (> 10% change from pre-education to posteducation), particularly for questions related to the effect of noise-induced hearing loss on ability to hear speech or hear at a distance. Thirty five percent of study participants reported using hearing protection in hazardous noise 75%–100% of the time. Primary reason for not using hearing protection was comfort. Conclusions Despite hearing loss prevention efforts in the military, hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) continue to be prevalent service-connected disabilities among veterans. This study offers some insights regarding current hearing loss prevention understanding and practices for a group of active duty U.S. military personnel. Results from this study can inform future improvements in military hearing loss prevention education.

The Effect of a Web-Based Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Prevention Program on Hearing Protection Device Behavior Among Thai Navy Officers: A Quasi-Experimental Study

“…Poorly trained and unsupervised individuals led to not being able to achieve adequate attenuation when using HPDs. 11,12 In the Thai Navy, hearing conservation is implemented only with elements such as a walk-through survey to identify health risks and health examination based on the identified risks, providing large group health education about basic occupational health and occupational diseases. 4 Computers can assist in providing health education by adapting communication methods that are designed based on the platforms of each website or software application.…”

“…Nevertheless, there are some limitations of the program for improvement in the use of HPDs in naval personnel, which provides large group education, while operating via computer-based training and website is only one-way communication and lacks individual, meaningful feedback. 11,12…”