Okpala Nnaemeka C E
British Army, Royal Army Medical Corps, Otolaryngology, Ear, Nose, and Throat Department, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Longfleet Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 2JB, UK.
Mil Med. 2007 May;172(5):520-2. doi: 10.7205/milmed.172.5.520.
This study examined British infantry soldiers' knowledge of hearing conservation and explored the various factors that influenced their behavior.
This followed qualitative methodology. Data were collected through focus group discussion and semistructured interviews. Twenty-three soldiers from a typical infantry unit were involved in this study. Data analysis involved both question and content analysis. Validity of the research instrument and reliability were ensured.
All of the soldiers felt their hearing could be affected by their job. Even though many were not aware of the presence of a hearing conservation policy, they knew about specific aspects of the policy. A number of factors prevented the proper use of the personal hearing protection devices even though they were aware of their effectiveness in the reduction of noise hazard. These included communication difficulties, discomfort, and the impracticability of using them in certain circumstances. There was also a suggestion of a preponderance of noise-induced hearing loss on the left, which is the side often left unprotected to aid communication. Suggestions were put forward on ways of improving the hearing conservation program.
An effective Army hearing conservation program should be comprehensive. It should incorporate appropriate knowledge, sociological issues, and economic considerations such as choice making and opportunity cost. There should be a well-structured hearing education program with targeted and appropriate behavioral modification. It should be compulsory and include lectures and videos given at least once a year. Improvements are required to increase the proper use of personal hearing protection devices and thus reduce the morbidity associated with noise-induced hearing loss.
本研究考察了英国步兵对听力保护的认知，并探究了影响其行为的各种因素。
采用定性研究方法。通过焦点小组讨论和半结构化访谈收集数据。来自一个典型步兵部队的23名士兵参与了本研究。数据分析包括问题分析和内容分析。确保了研究工具的有效性和可靠性。
所有士兵都认为他们的听力可能会受到工作的影响。尽管许多人不知道有听力保护政策，但他们了解该政策的具体方面。尽管他们知道个人听力保护装置在降低噪音危害方面的有效性，但一些因素阻碍了其正确使用。这些因素包括沟通困难、不适以及在某些情况下使用不切实际。还有迹象表明，左侧因噪音导致的听力损失更为普遍，而左侧通常不进行保护以利于沟通。针对改进听力保护计划提出了建议。
有效的军队听力保护计划应该是全面的。它应纳入适当的知识、社会学问题以及经济考量，如决策制定和机会成本。应该有一个结构良好的听力教育计划，进行有针对性且适当的行为改变。该计划应该是强制性的，并且每年至少进行一次讲座和播放视频。需要做出改进以增加个人听力保护装置的正确使用，从而降低与噪音性听力损失相关的发病率。
