Too Late Smart: Farmers' Adoption of Self-Protective Behaviors in Response to Exposure to Hazardous Noise

Farmers are exposed to hazardous noise from equipment and livestock and experience high rates of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL); however, their use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) is low. The purpose of this study was to describe farmers' personal experiences using HPDs, influencing oth...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AAOHN journal 2009-03, Vol.57 (3), p.99-105
Main Authors: McCullagh, Marjorie, Robertson, Cheryl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Agricultural Workers' Diseases - prevention & control
Agriculture
Codes
Ear Protective Devices
Ears & hearing
Families & family life
Farms
Female
Hearing loss
Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced - prevention & control
Hearing protection
Humans
Interviews
Livestock
Male
Middle Aged
Midwestern United States
Motivation
Noise
Noise, Occupational - adverse effects
Occupational safety
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
Tinnitus
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Summary:Farmers are exposed to hazardous noise from equipment and livestock and experience high rates of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL); however, their use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) is low. The purpose of this study was to describe farmers' personal experiences using HPDs, influencing others' use of HPDs, and overcoming barriers to the use of HPDs. A purposive sample of farmers who reported a high frequency of HPD use was selected for face-to-face interviews. Findings indicated that farmers have frequent exposure to hazardous noise. They described their motivation to adopt protective behaviors to avoid hearing loss, noise annoyance, or tinnitus. Many tried to influence others' use of HPD, particularly family members. These farmers have developed a variety of methods to ensure convenient access to HPDs when needed, and have developed effective techniques for overcoming common barriers to protection. Findings from this study will be used to form the foundation for future studies aimed at developing and testing an intervention to increase HPD use and decrease rates of NIHL among farmers.
ISSN:2165-0799
0891-0162
2165-0969
DOI:10.1177/216507990905700304