Attitudes toward Noise, Perceived Hearing Symptoms, and Reported Use of Hearing Protection among College Students: Influence of Youth Culture

Presented for World Environmental Health Day, September 26, 2016 in Greenville, North Carolina.Background • Young adults are involved in noisy activities, increasing their risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and other hearing symptoms. • NIHL and other hearing symptoms are increasing in the younger population in the U.S. and abroad. Methodology • A 44-item online survey was administered to students enrolled in a personal health course (HLTH 1000) through Qualtrics. • 2,151 college students participated (92.3% participation rate) • Survey instrument includes: o Demographic items o Youth attitudes to noise scale (YANS) o Hearing symptom description (HSD) o Noise exposure and hearing protection use (AAH) Conclusions • Universities/ colleges have important roles in protecting young adults’ hearing by: o Integrating hearing conservation topic in the college curriculum o Promoting hearing health by student health services o Involving student groups in NIHL awareness and prevention o Establishing noise level limitations for all on-campus events Jo Anne G. Balanay, PhD, CIH1 and Gregory D. Kearney, MPH, DrPH2 1Environmental Health Sciences Program, Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University 2Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University Purpose of the Study • To assess the attitude toward noise, perceived hearing symptoms, noisy activities that were participated in, and factors associated with hearing protection use among college students • Goal: To understand the risk factors influencing the behavior of college students related to noise exposure to effectively promote and implement hearing conservation programs for them