| POSTERS & INTERACTIVE TABLES | |||||
| # | TITLE | PRESENTER | ABSTRACT | LEARNER OUTCOMES | PRESENTATIONS |
| 1 Poster | Risk taking and lesire time noise among adolescents | Risk taking and leisure time noise among adolescents: Adolescents in Western society often expose themselves to high levels of sound at gym, rock concerts, discotheques etc (Olsen Widén & Erlandsson, 2004). These behaviours are as threatening to young peoples’ health as traditional risk behaviours. Theories of risk taking behaviours among adolescents do not include exposure to noise as risky situations. The aims of the present study were to examine risk taking behaviours and judgements among Swedish adolescents by the use of the “Adolescent Risk-taking Questionnaire” (ARQ by Gullone, Moore, Moss and Boyd, 2000) and to analyse the relationship between self-exposure to noise and risk taking behaviours. The study included 310 adolescents age 15-20 (167 men/143 women) in three upper secondary schools in Sweden. The response rate was 84.2 %. The results reveal a correlation between adolescents’ behaviour in different risk situations and behaviour in noisy environments. There was also a correlation found between traditional judgements about risk and judgement regarding noise exposure. Female students judge risk situations generally as more dangerous than male students do, although they behave in the same way as men. Since a relationship exists between adolescents’ risk taking in noisy environments and other types of risk taking, research dealing with hearing prevention among young people need to acknowledge and make use of theories on risk taking. Likewise, theories on risk taking should acknowledge noise as a risk factor. Results also reveal the importance of analyzing gender differences in studies regarding risk behaviour. | 1. Research dealing with hearing loss prevention among young people need to acknowledge and make use of theories on risk taking, and theories on risk taking should acknowledge noise as a reisk factor. 2. In research regarding risk behaviour it is central to apply a gender perspective. |
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| 2 Interactive Table | Walkometer AKA The Big Purple Head | David K. Brown, Ph.D. | A WALKOMETER is a device which visually shows how loud an individual listens to their personal stereo system. This device can be used in many different settings including schools, and health fairs to quickly and easily demonstrate whether a person’s own system is in the “safe” or “danger” zone. In order to use the WALKOMETER, a person walks up to it and simply places their headphones on the device’s ears and turns it on to the level at which they normally listen. The device’s sound level meter then measures the level of the sound coming from the headphone and displays it in terms of a series of green (safe), yellow (caution) or red (danger) lights (listening zones). It is very “kid friendly” and attracts a significant amount of attention. Children are drawn to the device because of its uniqueness, after which you can discus the potential harm of listening at too loud a level or for too long a time | View PDF | |
| 3 Poster | Racial and ethnic differences in outcomes of four hearing loss prevention interventions in elementary students | Four hearing loss prevention interventions were presented to 54 fourth grade classes in Oregon. Interventions included: 1. a classroom program presented by trained school nurses, 2. a classroom program presented by teams of two high school students, 3. a class visit to the Dangerous Decibels museum exhibition, or 4. a visit to the web-based Dangerous Decibels® Virtual Exhibition. Interventions were based upon current health communication and behavior theory. Students completed questionnaires before, immediately after and three months after the intervention presented to them. The questionnaires evaluated knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviors regarding noise exposure and hearing loss prevention. A stratified randomization procedure was implemented to increase numbers of targeted minority groups (Hispanic and African Americans) within each intervention group. A two-factor analysis of variance with post-hoc comparison was performed using classrooms as the unit analysis. Results indicate significant differences in regard to increases in knowledge, changes in attitudes and behavioral intentions between classrooms with primarily Hispanic and African-American students compared to classrooms with primarily Caucasian students. These differences were present across all four-intervention strategies. Implications of these findings will be presented and the importance of developing culturally competent hearing loss prevention interventions will be presented. | 1. Differences exist across racial/ethnic groups regarding the effectiveness of hearing loss prevention strategies. 2. The effectiveness of health communication program, such as hearing loss prevention, is dependent upon the inclusion of culturally relevant and normative epectations within the target community. |
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| 4 Poster | A Hearing Conservation Website for Parents | Research has shown that noise induced hearing loss in children is increasing. It has been suggested that public awareness of the issue can help reverse this trend. Because parents are a child’s first teacher and role model, it is important that parents play a role in educating their children on the dangers of excessive noise. To accomplish this, parents must both understand the dangers and learn how to protect their children’s hearing properly. Parents need to have easy access to this information and other available resources. While many excellent hearing conservation programs have been developed for teachers for use in the classroom, programs designed to educate parents on these same topics appear to be limited. Therefore, a hearing conservation website has been developed for parents. Easily accessible through the internet, it is intended to be a comprehensive resource that parents can use as a guide when educating their children on the dangers of excessive noise and the use of hearing protection devices. The website contains: an overview of the anatomy and function of the ear; a discussion of noise and its sources in our daily environment; an explanation of how noise can damage hearing; and information on hearing protection devices and their proper use. Parents are provided with numerous links to resources where they can find more information, and activities to assist in teaching this information to their children. | 1. The learner will become aware that parents are an important group to target with educating the public on noise induced hearing loss. 2. The learner will become aware of a hearing conservation resource for parents they can recommend to their clients/patients, as well as family and friends. |
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| 5 Poster | Beliefs about Hearing Loss and Hearing Protection in a Small Public High School in Oregon. | There is growing concern that this is the noisiest generation in history. It has been noted that “as many as 5.2 million children in the United States have some hearing damage from amplified music and other sources.” In an effort to understand what teenagers are thinking and how they are acting in the face of this potential crisis, students from a small public high school in Portland Oregon were surveyed about exposures to loud sounds, use of hearing protection, knowledge about hearing science, attitudes about using hearing protection, communication with parents and friends, and behavioral intentions. Of the 171 students who answered the survey, 104 were male and 67 were female. Results showed that more than 80% of the students used headphones. A majority of students were exposed to sounds loud enough to hurt their ears or cause ringing. However, about half of the population had never worn hearing protection. Most had seen their parents wear ear protection but had not spoken to their parents about protecting their hearing. Students had reasonable knowledge of hearing science and ways to protect their hearing, and about half suggested that they would use protection if they were around power tools. Yet 80% of these high school students said that they would not use hearing protection if they went to a loud concert. This information can help researchers to understand the attitudes of high school students for future interventions in this population. | 1. A survey of high school students reported that 80% used headphoenes, and a majority of them were exposed to sounds loud enough to hurt their ears or cause ringing. 2. Half of the population of students surveyed had never used hearing protection themselves, yet most had seen their parents use protection. 3. While students had a reasonable knowledge of hearing science and about half suggested they would use protection around power tools, about 80% reported that they would not use hearing protection if they went to a loud concert. 4. Understand the knowledge level, attitudes and behaviors of high school teenagers can help tailor future interventions with this population. |
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| 6 Poster | Development of a high-fidelity earplug for children |
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Increasing media coverage and broadened public awareness of noise-induced hearing loss from loud music have highlighted the importance of hearing protection for young persons. The purpose of this poster presentation is to describe the development process for a 20dB high-fidelity flat attenuation earplug for small ear canals. ER-20 High Fidelity earplugs (covered by patents #4,852,683 #5,113,967 and #5,887,070) were developed in the late 1980s as a low-cost, one-size-fits-most alternative to custom Musicians Earplugs. While the need for non-custom flat attenuation earplugs for smaller ears was identified many years ago, they have not been available until recently. Factors influencing the frequency response and attenuation characteristics of these earplugs include: average ear canal volume and length; the length of the sound path; and the diameter of the bore in the eartip. Several earplugs were constructed with different combinations of overall length and diameter, and the resulting effect on the frequency response was evaluated. The dimensions of the eartip, stem and endcap affect the response and the total length of the earplug. The high frequency response is particularly variable depending on the total length of the earplug. Graphical representation of this process from prototype to final product will be presented. | 1. Describe three characteristics that influence the frequency response and attenuation characteristics of high-fidelity earplugs. 2. Describe how the dimensions of the earplug affect the resulting frequency response. |
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| 7 Poster | Personal stereo and hearing loss | This is a public educational material developed to educate the public on prevention of possible noise induced hearing loss from wearing the personal stereo system for prolonged periods at a loud volume setting. The information is also available in A4 size to be used as a handout. Our ears are not designed to cope with loud noise exposure. The iPods ear buds, the essential accessory that have become almost of a status symbol as the device itself. According to one of the recent market survey, there are several millions of people now own MP3 players. It is also interesting to note that 25.6 million iPod players were sold in the first half of 2005. It is possible that any rise in popularity of personal music player might lead to more cases of hearing loss/tinnitus in the future. These new devices merely add to the daily din of environmental noise and increase the risk of incidence of premature hearing loss. We are seeing the kind of hearing loss in younger people typically found in aging adults. Our ear ages faster with noise exposure. Many are likely to loose their hearing in their thirties instead of their sixties | 1. This presentation will help everyone to understand the importance of developing public educational materials for prevention of hearing loos. 2. Encourage the viewers to develop a similar program. |
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| 8 Poster | Prevention of hearing loss - Why is it not a health priority - When it is feasible, beneficial and justifiable | This poster outlines various issues related to hearing loss in general and oulines proposed measures to be undertaken at national level to prevent hearing loss. Today hearing loss is one of the leading and fast growing serious disabilities in our modern society. Hearing experts believe that it is a serious but a quiet epidemic and because of noise and/ or music exposure the average level of human ear sensitivity is being altered. Noise/music is one of the leading causes of hearing loss. It is on the increase and more and more young people are becoming hard of hearing. Hence prevention of preventable hearing loss should become a health priority. Otherwise a considerable portion of health funding will be spent on hearing loss rehabilitation. The allocated funding will never become sufficient to fulfill everyone’s hearing needs. | 1. This presentation will help everyone to understand the current situation and future steps to be taken towards prevention of music/noise induced hearing loss in children in New Zealand. 2. It will help the viewers to understand the mportance of prevention of hearing loss becoming a national priority. |
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| 9 Poster | Guidelines on prevention of preventable hearing loss | This is a public educational material developed for educating the public on prevention of preventable hearing loss. This can be displayed on the waiting areas in the hospital, school and colleges. This consists of almost all the information related to prevention of music and/or noise induced hearing loss. The information is also available in A4 size to be used as a handout. | 1. This presentation will help everyone to understand the mportance of developing public educational materials for prevention of hearing loss. 2. Encourage the viewers to develop similar poster. |
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| 10 Poster | Noise….Noise….Noise….everywhere. What do we do about it? | This is a public educational material developed for educating the public on prevention of Noise/music Induced hearing loss. The information is also available in A4 size to be used as a handout. Noise exposure is the major cause of premature hearing loss. Although prevention of all types hearing impairment is not entirely possible, a majority of them can be prevented and/or the harmful effects on individual’s life can be reduced if identified early. Work-related hearing loss continues to be a critical workplace safety and health issue. The big industries have noise reduction methods in place, but the small scale /home based industries don’t. And there are several unidentified occupation that are not considered as the high risk category, and they don't get their hearing tested and the noise levels are not monitored. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) named hearing loss as one of the 21 priority areas for research in the next century. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable but once acquired, hearing loss is permanent and irreversible. | 1. This presentation will help everyone to understand the importance of developing public educational materials for prevention of hearing loos. 2. Encourage the viewers to develop a similar poster. |
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| 11 Interactive Table | NIOSH OSH Curriculum for High Schools: Hearing Loss Prevention Module | Carol Stephenson, Ph.D. | During this session, NIOSH will display their new OSH Core Curriculum designed for High School Students. The curriculum covers basic information about risk of injury in the workplace for young workers, how to recognize hazards, how hazards are characterized and controlled, what to do in an emergency, how to communicate effectively with co-workers and employers about workplace safety, and rules appropriate to young workers. Noise issues are interwoven throughout the curriculum as examples and a noise module utilizing materials from the Dangerous Decibels program is offered to teachers as supplemental materials. The curriculum was tested in 10 states, and 100% of teachers utilized the optional noise module and rated it favorably. | 1. Learners will become familiar with the components of the new OSH core curriculum and its noise module. They will understand how this curriculum is being integrated into High schools through the Career Clusters initiative. 2. Learners will gain an understanding of factors associated with young workers that put them at excess risk of occupational injuries, including hearing loss. |
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| 12 Poster | Hear Today, Hear Tomorrow | Wendy Steuerwald, M.S. | Hear Today, Hear Tomorrow is a pediatric hearing conservation program designed to teach fourth and fifth graders healthy hearing habits to last a life time. Prior to the presentation, students complete a hearing conservation pretest and are asked to bring a noise/ music producing item to school. During the program, each student receives a poster teaching the parts of the ear and how sound travels through the ear to the brain. The different types of hearing loss and their causes are discussed. The familiar sounds audiogram is introduced to illustrate where average conversational speech and a variety of environmental sounds occur. Next, the class is exposed to what hearing loss sounds like by listening to sounds filtered to simulate normal, a mild and a moderate hearing loss. At this point, the students are given a chart listing different noise sources, their decibel level, and the amount of time the noise source can be listened to before causing hearing loss. The warning signs of noise induced hearing loss and prevention methods are discussed. Then the students take turns measuring the output of their noise/music source with a sound level meter. We compare our sound level meter readings to the noise level chart they were previously given and determine how long the student can safely use the item. Band instruments, iPods, and hand held games are popular items assessed. Students take a post test and are given handouts for reinforcement. | 1. Participants will learn the components of an effective student interactive hearing conservation program. 2. Participants will learn how to present the program for maximum student engagement. |
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| 13 Poster & Interactive Table | Noisy Toys: Annoying or Harmful? | Julee Sylvester | At the Sight & Hearing Association, our work focuses on preventing hearing loss due to noise; we have found that children are being exposed to potentially harmful decibel levels in toys. For the past eight years, the Sight & Hearing Association has tested a variety of toys — taken right off toy store shelves — for potentially dangerous noise levels. The resulting annual Noisy Toys List has become an important vehicle to disseminate the message of the dangers of loud toys to the general public, and a sought-after item with media across the country, most recently appearing in the May 2006 issue of Parents magazine. Up until March 2004, no regulations regarding the acoustics of toys existed. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) in 2004 set a voluntary recommendation of levels of toys not to exceed 90 dB 10 cm from the surface of the toy. Recent studies by the Sight & Hearing Association still find toys exceeding 100 dB. This poster will display the results of our annual studies, some pertinent articles and related media coverage, and will feature a demonstration of a few of the loudest toys in recent years. | 1. to give the learner information about the results of our eight years of studies on noisy toys. 2. to create a dialogue about the dangers and potentially harmful decibel levels of toys. 3. to give the learner recommendations on what to do with noisy toys. 4. to give the learner hands-on experience with noisy toys. |
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| 14 Poster | Can you Hear Me Now? Personal Music Players and Hearing Loss |
David Ahlstrom Greg Harris Brandon Kieft Alexys Race Tara Reed Cheyn Rushing Julian Smith |
This team of seven middle school students will present their 4-panel poster display, titled, "Can You Hearing Me Now?" They will read their report on the problem with hearing loss in teens, some alternative solutions, a public policy solution they advocate, and their action plan to reach their public policy goals. This presentation is part of the federal "Project Citizen" program, in which students study public policy issues and seek to make a difference through volunteerism and advocacy. | View PDF | |
| 15 Interactive Table | Dangerous Decibels® Interactives and Educational Materials Available for YOU! | Hearing loss prevention has historically been the domain of military and occupational fields. Recently, it has become apparent that non-occupational activities include a host of noise exposures that can be potentially hazardous to adults and children. Dangerous Decibels® is a public health partnership with the goal of reducing the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss and related tinnitus through creative education, museum exhibitry and outreach. The Dangerous Decibels® project recently developed several educational resources as part of an NIH funded (NCRR and NIDCD) research project investigating the development and effectiveness of innovative hearing health interventions. The goal was to change knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding noise exposures, in the public. Special focus was given to developing interventions that were effective in elementary, middle and high school students. Many of these resources are now available for use in research and/or education regarding noise induced hearing loss prevention the Dangerous Decibels® website. These include a database and research tool with 38,000+ subjects, a virtual museum exhibit with eight fun, interactive activities and simulations, and a Teacher’s Resource Guide filled with activities, instructions and hearing health information. An instructional DVD with images, simulations and activities that parallel the Teacher’s Resource Guide is also available through contact information on the website. These resources can be applied in industrial, military or public educational hearing loss prevention efforts. www.dangerousdecibels.org | 1. Participants will learn how to access and use the Dangerous Decibels Listen Up! research data base of over 38,000 subjects. 2. Participants will learn how to access and use the Dangerous Decibels Virtual Exhibit. 3. Participants will see the Teachers Resource Guide and accompanying DVD instructional materials. |
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| 16 Interactive Table | Using the Media as an Education Tool |
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This interactive table will supplement the podium presentation to further illustrate how working with print and broadcast media can provide another method of educating the public about the issue of noise and hearing loss. Gaining visibility in the media for your hearing conservation programs and services or science and research projects can be an easy and cost-effective way to bring these important issues into the awareness of a greater number of people as well as communicate messages about prevention. This exhibit will further examine the nuts and bolts of working with the media, whether you have dollars to spend or you have no budget at all, using a variety of public relations strategies and tools. | ||
| 17 Interactive Table | Sound Sense: Save your hearing for the music! | This interactive table will supplement the companion podium presentation. Research shows that the better children hear, the better they learn. Even mild hearing loss can affect academic, social and future career achievements. Studies also confirm the success of hearing conservation programs aimed at young people, yet hearing injury prevention is not taught in school. In 2005, The Hearing Foundation of Canada introduced Sound Sense: Save Your Hearing for the Music!, an exciting program that teaches students why and how they can protect their sense of hearing from noise damage. The music-themed, interactive program complements the Grades 4 to 7 core health curriculums and is easy to deliver in a 30-60 minute class period. Students explore the role of sound and hearing in their lives; they learn how hearing works, the effects of noise, what it might be like to have a hearing loss and finally, strategies to help protect their hearing. The attractively packaged presentation kit includes a curriculum booklet, an entertaining, partially-animated 10-minute video, and take-home materials for students and parents. Sound Sense, currently rolling out in several provinces, is delivered in the schools by both in-school teachers, and by hearing health professionals and other volunteer facilitators who understand the importance of hearing loss conservation. | |||
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Jolene: How loud is your music? | The popularity of personal stereo systems has exceeded any possible expectations. It is projected that sales of Ipod devices alone may approach 24 million in 2006. Studies of personal stereo systems indicate that they can readily produce sound levels in excess of 105 dBA SPL. Utilization practices have not been well documented, but anecdotal reports indicate that young people use the devices up to several hours each day. Public awareness of personal stereo system outputs and recommended exposure levels is an important, first step in the public health campaign for noise induced hearing loss prevention. David Brown developed “The Big Purple Head” or Walkometer as a device to measure sound levels of personal stereo systems. The system presented in this session, Jolene, is a new version of such a device that was designed to be produced with relatively easy to acquire and inexpensive materials (used mannequin, Radio Shack sound level meter, Velcro, a glue gun) that can be assembled by middle or high school students to create their own versions of a sound measuring system. It has been used for public outreach and education in the Portland, Oregon area. | 1. Participants will learn how to use simple materials to create, innovative public education tools. 2. Participants will be able to experience a hands-on demonstration of the sound measuring system. |
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