Protecting the Hearing of Farm and Rural Youths Will Be Goal of New $1 Million Grant at UMSN
Tractors, combines, chainsaws and even pig squeals are just a few of the hazardous noises that farm workers can encounter on a daily basis.
Young adults who work on farms are at a high risk of hearing loss due to frequent exposure to hazardous levels of noise. For many of them, that exposure begins at a very early age. “Many farm youth already have noise-induced hearing loss by the time they’re in high school, so it’s important that we work on hearing conservation from a young age,” says Marjorie C. McCullagh, PhD, RN, PHCNS-BC, COHN-S, FAAN, a University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) associate professor and director of UMSN’s Occupational Health Nursing Program.
Consistent use of hearing conservation strategies, namely wearing ear protection, can reduce the rates of noise-induced hearing loss. However, Dr. McCullagh and colleagues believe there are not enough programs to educate youths about hearing loss, and the ones that exist have not been studied enough to understand what methods are most effective for these young adults. Dr. McCullagh aims to change that with her new grant, “Test of hearing health education programs for farm and rural youth,” funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).Dr. McCullagh has found in her previous research that approximately 75 percent of farmers suffer from hearing loss or impairment. This includes the loss of quality of sound which makes even simple conversations difficult or impossible. Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) is another frequent effect of the damage. Dr. McCullagh has found that much of the damage is both cumulative and irreversible, making prevention of damage essential for healthy hearing.
In this new study, Dr. McCullagh and colleagues will conduct a randomly controlled trial of community-based interventions. The goal is to compare the effectiveness and sustainability of programs to increase youths’ use of hearing conservation strategies. Wearing adequate hearing protection, turning down the volume of equipment when possible, and giving ears a break by walking away from noise sources are a few of the strategies.
While Dr. McCullagh has dedicated her career to improving the health of occupational workers, this is her first time focusing on farm youth. She says she’s excited about the opportunity to make an impact with these young people: “My partnership with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation provides access to 100,000 at-risk persons per year, giving this project large potential reach.”
Research in this release is supported by NIH/NIDCD under grant number R01DC013885-01A1. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIH/NIDCD.
Media Contact:
Mary Beth Lewis, University of Michigan School of Nursing, sn-comm@umich.edu (734) 763-1682
