Efficacy of technology-based interventions to increase the use of hearing protections among adolescent farmworkers

Objective: Adolescent farmworkers are exposed to loud noise during farm activities. We present a prospective study that evaluated the efficacy of low-cost, technology-based intervention approaches in high schools to enhance the use of hearing protection among adolescent farmworkers. Design: Six high schools in Iowa that agreed to participate in the study were divided into three equal groups through cluster-randomisation with each group receiving one of the three formats of hearing protection intervention: (a) classroom training, (b) classroom training coupled with smartphone app training and (c) computer training. Participants completed baseline (pre-training) and six-week post-intervention surveys for assessing hearing protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Study Sample: Seventy participants from six schools were initially enrolled but 50 completed both pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results: In most cases, all three groups showed significant improvement in hearing protection knowledge, attitude and frequency of use from pre- to post-intervention. However, changes between groups were statistically non-significant. Conclusions: Although all three formats led to improvements on hearing protection knowledge, attitude and behaviour, the findings of the study, perhaps due to the small sample size, did not allow us to detect whether technology-based hearing protection interventions were more effective than the traditional face-to-face training for adolescent farmworkers.研究目标：青少年农场劳动者在农场作业过程中会暴露于高强度噪声环境。本前瞻性研究旨在评估低成本、基于技术的干预方案在高中场景中的应用有效性，以提升青少年农场劳动者对听力防护（hearing protection）用品的使用行为与相关认知。 研究设计：爱荷华州同意参与本研究的6所高中通过整群随机化（cluster-randomisation）方法被平均分为3组，每组分别接受3种听力防护干预方案之一：(a) 课堂培训；(b) 课堂培训搭配智能手机应用程序（smartphone app）培训；(c) 计算机培训。所有参与者需完成基线（培训前）与干预后6周的调查问卷，以评估其听力防护相关知识、态度与使用频率。 研究样本：最初共有来自6所学校的70名参与者完成注册，但最终仅50名参与者同时完成了基线调研与干预后调研。 研究结果：整体而言，三组受试者在听力防护知识、态度及使用频率上，从干预前到干预后均呈现显著提升。但组间差异未达到统计学显著性水平。 研究结论：尽管三种干预方案均能改善受试者的听力防护知识、态度与行为，但受限于样本量较小，本研究未能验证基于技术的听力防护干预方案是否优于针对青少年农场劳动者的传统面对面培训。