PREDICTING USE OF HEARING PROTECTION - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health targeted nois e-induced hearing loss as one of the top 10 occupational hazards. Rese arch has been directed toward reducing noise exposure rather than iden tifying the factors associated with workers' decision consistently to use hearing protection. The long-term goal of this program of research is to develop a causal model explaining workers' use of hearing prote ction to guide development of nursing interventions. This study was a preliminary one to prepare for testing Pender's health-promotion model (HPM) as a causal model. Ninety-eight skilled tradesmen completed wri tten questionnaires at their work site. Although 98% indicated they we re supposed to wear protection, their reported use averaged 50.3% of t he time. Reported use significantly and positively correlated with wor kers' perceptions of the benefits and self-efficacy of use, value of o utcomes regarding keeping out noise and increased well-being, and heal th-promoting behaviors in the areas of self-actualization and stress m anagement. Perceptions of barriers of use were significantly and negat ively related to use. In regression analyses of use of hearing protect ion on components of the HPM and dimensions of health behavior and lif estyle, one component of the HPM (benefits) and two dimensions of heal th behavior and lifestyle (self-actualization and interpersonal suppor t) significantly predicted use, accounting for 24% of the variance in use of protection. Knowledge of the predictors of hearing protection u se will ultimately aid nurses in implementing interventions, increasin g use, and decreasing hearing losses.