Predictors of Hearing Protection Use Among Firefighters

Hong, OiSaeng

Thursday, July 14, 2011

OiSaeng Hong, PhD, RN¹
Dal Lae Chin, MSN, RN¹
David L. Ronis, PhD, MA²
(1)School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
(2)School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Learning Objective 1: Identify factors related to use of hearing protection devices among firefighters.

Learning Objective 2: Discuss the importance of developing successful intervention strategies to promote the use of hearing protection devices for firefighters.

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major health problem for firefighters. NIHL is an irreversible hearing impairment, but can be prevented by the consistent use of hearing protection devices (HPDs), such as ear muffs or plugs. Little is known about factors that affect firefighters’ use of HPDs to prevent NIHL.

Purpose: To identify significant predictors of firefighters’ use of HPDs.

Methods: The Predictors of Use of Hearing Protection Model (PUHPM) was used as a conceptual framework. The model includes three modifying factors (demographic/experiential/biological factors, interpersonal influences, situational factors) and five cognitive-perceptual factors (perceived benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, susceptibility, severity) as predictors for use of HPDs.

This analysis included the pretest data from 150 firefighters who participate in an ongoing internet-based intervention study of approximately 400 targeted firefighters in three states in the US. Web-based survey was used to collect the data. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine significant predictors of the use of HPDs in firefighters.

Results: The participants were middle aged (mean age=43years), White (93%), and males (97%) with many years (mean=17years) of work experience in fire services. About 80% of the participants reported the daily/weekly loud noise exposures when working as a firefighter. But their use of HPDs in noisy activities at job site in fire service was pretty low (36%). The majority (85%) of the participants reported they perceived their hearing was good. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analysis determined noise exposure at job site (positive), interpersonal influences (positive), perceived barriers (negative), and perceived susceptibility (positive) were significantly related to the use of HPDs in firefighters. The model explained 45% of the variance in firefighters’ use of HPDs (F= 7.83, p<.001).

Conclusion: Results of this analysis suggest that multiple situational and cognitive perceptual factors influence hearing protection behavior among firefighters.

See more of: Accepted WANS Posters
See more of: World Academy of Nursing Science: Oral Paper & Posters