A study on awareness of hearing health, risk factors, prevention, and intervention of hearing impairment-among pregnant women and mothers of newborn in urban area, Bhubaneswar

Background: The study was aimed at investigating the knowledge of awareness of hearing health, risk factors causing hearing loss and preventive measures for hearing disability at natal stages and awareness regarding the intervention among the pregnant women and mothers of newborn in urban area i.e. in Bhubaneswar.Methods: 53 pregnant women and 103 mothers of newborn had participated in the present study and were agreed to provide their awareness regarding the questionnaire related to selected parameters their responses were scored and documented for the statistics.Results: Results indicates that mothers were more aware of the selected parameters like risk factors during natal stages, intervention as compared to pregnant women. Mothers (66.01%) and pregnant women (56.22%) were more aware of prenatal risk factors as compared to peri and postnatal. Almost 60% of total participants were aware of hearing health and intervention for hearing loss. Two-way ANOVA was computed. p<0.0001, indicates statistically significant difference between the selected parameters i.e. awareness of hearing health and intervention and awareness of risk factors and prevention for hearing impairment at natal stages. Post hoc analysis (using unpaired t test by applying Bonferroni correction) suggestive of statistically significant difference of selected parameters from each other among pregnant women and mothers with p=0.0002.Conclusions: It is very much important to utilize the existing knowledge of the grass root level people like mothers and pregnant women by acquiring their ideas and information regarding the awareness of occurrence of hearing impairment in children which can be done only by spreading adequate information regarding hearing disability.

Developing a Smart Helmet Based on the Internet of Things to Manage Hearing Problems in the Construction Projects

Construction sites are renowned as the noisiest places that may cause hearing loss to workers. Lack of awareness about the level of harmful sounds causes more prevalence of hearing loss than other industries. This article intends to solve this issue by an innovative idea that is designing a wearable device called "smart helmet" (SH). The SH uses the concept of the Internet of things (IoT) for real-time monitoring workers' hearing health in construction sites. SH works online to send notifications in the presence of harmful sounds and offline due to storing data to analyse workers' health conditions. The results are divided into two sections: The first section presents the detail of the architecture, hardware and software of the SH and the second section offers a formula to convert noisy situations into allowable working time. By combining the proposed procedure and SH's prepared data, the allowable working time can be calculated for workers. The results of applying this device in practical projects show that steelworkers are more at risk than the others with exposure to 98 dB sounds.

Public Health Frameworks in Audiology Education: Rationale and Model for Implementation

Purpose: Hearing health care is a public health priority at the national and global levels, yet training in clinical audiology programs lacks formal public health education. The purpose of this review article is to discuss audiology concepts in terms of the public health framework of assessment, policy, and assurance and describe two approaches for implementing public health frameworks into audiology doctoral programs. Method: This review article provides a review of audiology concepts through the framework of public health and discusses the rationale for why public health concepts are critical to achieving population-level objectives in hearing health care. We compare competencies of audiology and public health education and then provide a model for two methods for implementing public health education into audiology doctoral programs: (a) formal integration of public health concepts into existing coursework or curricula and (b) a dual doctor of audiology (AuD) and master's in public health (MPH) degree track. Conclusions: Public health is present in the field of audiology, and the field has many public health objectives; however, audiologists do not receive the training necessary to recognize public health concepts or meet population-level objectives. Educating future audiologists in public health concepts will provide them with the tools needed to work with other hearing professionals to make population-level advances in hearing health care. A subset of students may want to become experts in public health and wish to pursue a dual AuD/MPH track.

Clinical Trials and Outcome Measures in Adults With Hearing Loss

Clinical trials are designed to evaluate interventions that prevent, diagnose or treat a health condition and provide the evidence base for improving practice in health care. Many health professionals, including those working within or allied to hearing health, are expected to conduct or contribute to clinical trials. Recent systematic reviews of clinical trials reveal a dearth of high quality evidence in almost all areas of hearing health practice. By providing an overview of important steps and considerations concerning the design, analysis and conduct of trials, this article aims to give guidance to hearing health professionals about the key elements that define the quality of a trial. The article starts out by situating clinical trials within the greater scope of clinical evidence, then discusses the elements of a PICO-style research question. Subsequently, various methodological considerations are discussed including design, randomization, blinding, and outcome measures. Because the literature on outcome measures within hearing health is as confusing as it is voluminous, particular focus is given to discussing how hearing-related outcome measures affect clinical trials. This focus encompasses how the choice of measurement instrument(s) affects interpretation, how the accuracy of a measure can be estimated, how this affects the interpretation of results, and if differences are statistically, perceptually and/or clinically meaningful to the target population, people with hearing loss.

University Marching Band Members Noise Dosages and Hearing Health-Related Knowledge

Objectives: (1) To measure sound exposures of marching band and non-marching band students during a football game, (2) to compare these to sound level dose limits set by NIOSH, and (3) to assess the perceptions of marching band students about their hearing health risk from loud sound exposure and their use of hearing protection devices (HPDs). Methods: Personal noise dosimetry was completed on six marching band members and the band director during rehearsals and performances. Dosimetry measurements for two audience members were collected during the performances. Noise dose values were calculated using NIOSH criteria. One hundred twenty-three marching band members responded to a questionnaire analyzing perceptions of loud music exposure, the associated hearing health risks, and preventive behavior. Results: Noise dose values exceeded the NIOSH recommended limits among all six marching band members during rehearsals and performances. Higher sound levels were recorded during performances compared to rehearsals. The audience members were not exposed to hazardous levels. Most marching band members reported low concern for health effects from high sound exposure and minimal use of HPDs. Conclusion: High sound exposure and low concern regarding hearing health among marching band members reflect the need for comprehensive hearing conservation programs for this population.

Barriers to Adult Cochlear Implant Care in the United States: An Analysis of Health Care Delivery

Persistent underutilization of cochlear implants (CIs) in the United States is in part a reflection of a lack of hearing health knowledge and the complexities of care delivery in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. An evaluation of the patient experience through the CI health care delivery process systematically exposes barriers that must be overcome to undergo treatment for moderate-to-severe hearing loss. This review analyzes patient-facing obstacles including diagnosis of hearing loss, CI candidate identification and referral to surgeon, CI evaluation and candidacy criteria interpretation, and lastly CI surgery and rehabilitation. Pervasive throughout the process are several themes which demand attention in addressing inequities in hearing health disparities in the United States.

User-Operated Audiometry Project (UAud) – Introducing an Automated User-Operated System for Audiometric Testing Into Everyday Clinic Practice

Hearing loss is the third leading cause of years lived with disability. It is estimated that 430 million people worldwide are affected, and the number of cases is expected to increase in the future. There is therefore increased pressure on hearing health systems around the world to improve efficiency and reduce costs to ensure increased access to quality hearing health care. Here, we describe the User-Operated Audiometry project, the goal of which is to introduce an automated system for user-operated audiometric testing into everyday clinic practice as a means to relieve part of this pressure. The alternative to the existing referral route is presented in which examination is executed via the user-operated system. This route is conceptualized as an interaction between the patient, the system, and the hearing care professional (HCP). Technological requirements of the system and challenges that are related to the interaction between patients, the user-operated system, and the HCPs within the specific medical setting are discussed. Lastly, a strategy for the development and implementation of user-operated audiometry is presented, which includes initial investigations, a validation study, and implementation in a real-life clinical situation.

Fundamentals of Epidemiology for the Audiologist

Purpose Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease and other health-related events in populations. An understanding of epidemiology among audiologists is important for ear and hearing health care practice. This tutorial presents an overview of the fundamental concepts of epidemiology for the practicing audiologist and audiology students. Method The authors provide an overview of epidemiology and focus on its applicability to audiology. The most common epidemiologic study designs, measures of occurrence, and measures of association are highlighted and discussed. Concepts related to p values, confidence intervals, confounding, and bias are introduced. Finally, the authors discuss screening as a means to control adverse hearing health outcomes. Conclusions Epidemiologic approaches are of value to the audiologist involved in the evidence-based decision processes of planning, monitoring, and treating individuals with ear and hearing problems. For audiologists to make practice recommendations based on epidemiologic data, they need insight into epidemiologic study design and interpretation of data from these studies. Understanding the fundamentals of epidemiology and applying epidemiologic principles to the clinical practice of audiology can increase the quality of care individuals receive.