Australian Adolescent Attitudes Toward Noise and the Use of Hearing Protection

Abstract

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is on the increase in adolescent populations due to excessive noise exposure, particularly in leisure activities. A crucial factor in the prevention of NIHL and the use of hearing protective devices (HPDs) among this population relates directly to their attitudes toward noise. The present study investigated Australian adolescent attitudes toward noise and the use of HPDs as a follow-up study to research conducted in Sweden and the United States. The effects of gender, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) were also examined. The sample was composed of 287 high school and university students in Brisbane, Australia between the ages of 13 and 19 years. Questionnaires were used to gather information about attitudes toward noise, participation in noisy activities, and the use of HPDs. The majority of participants held positive attitudes toward noise (i.e., noise seen as “unproblematic”) and these attitudes were associated with the low reported usage of HPDs during participation in noisy activities, particularly those involving loud music. Older adolescents and those with a higher SES held more negative attitudes toward noise (i.e., noise seen as something “bad” or “something to keep away from”); however, only gender was found to be a significant predictor of HPD use in this study. This was the first study of its kind in Australia, and further research in this area is vital so that appropriate strategies to reduce NIHL in this population can be developed.