Wising Up About NIHLPublic Education Efforts To Prevent

NIHL in Children

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

October 20, 2006National Institutes of HealthU.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Objectives

• Learn about– NIDCD’s support of hearing research.– NIDCD’s public education efforts in NIHL.– Evaluation of WISE EARS! national campaign.– Findings and recommendations for future direction. – Next steps: Campaign and partnership development.

FY 2005 Budget, by Program Area ($ in thousands)

Smell$44,263(11%)

Taste$21,748

(6%)

Voice$24,311

(6%)

Balance$24,637

(6%)

Language$37,175

(9%)

Hearing$206,215

(53%)

Speech$24,637

(9%)

NIHL in Children

“Young people live in a loud and noisy world. In this age of the escalating use of personal stereo systems, hands-free cell phones, and portable movie/game systems, youth worldwide are exposed to harmful levels of noise every day.”  James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.Director, NIDCDFebruary 2006 

Communicating Research Results to the Public

• Health information based on scientific discovery.

• Fact sheets, newsletter, conference exhibits, press releases.

• Online health information and resources.

• Toll-free information service.

• Participation in HHS federal project: Healthy People 2010. 

Elementary School Children: Grades 3–6

• “I Love What I Hear” – Introduce concept of hearing

protection.– Describe hearing and sound.

• Resources:– Videotape/DVD.– Teacher curriculum guide.– Web-based interactive sound ruler.– “How Loud is Too Loud” bookmark.    

Middle School Children: Grades 7–8

• “How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears”

– Develop healthy hearing habits.– Avoid excessive exposure to loud noises.

• Resources:– Interactive, Web-based teaching units about science/human health

through which students:• Learn about, explore, and investigate sound, communication, and the

brain.• Apply concepts to solve problems and reduce the risk of hearing loss.

– Free to science teachers and school administrators.  

WISE EARS! All Ages

• 1999: WISE EARS!—NIDCD partners with NIOSH to promote a national campaign to prevent NIHL in children and workers.

– Raise awareness about NIHL among all audiences. – Motivate all audiences to take action.

Resources: – Promotional materials: Bookmarks, door hangers, magnets, stickers.– Coalition newsletter.– Web-based materials. – Fact sheets for different audiences.– Media outreach.

• 2004: WISE EARS! coalition grows to a network of nearly 90 organizations to promote awareness in media, communities.

Measuring WISE EARS!

• 2006: Evaluation of the campaign– Part I. Identify NIHL information available to the public

through:• Literature searches.• Media coverage.• WISE EARS! and other national public education campaigns

about NIHL.

– Part II. Interview WISE EARS! coalition members about:• Outreach to target audiences.• Appeal/effectiveness of WISE EARS! materials.• Future direction of the campaign.

• Public awareness of NIHL is growing.– Mainstream media coverage is high.– Broad-based organizations (e.g., MTV) contribute resources to

raising public awareness about NIHL. – NIHL prevention campaigns target youth.

Listen to Your Buds(www.asha.org/listentoyourbuds)

Dangerous Decibels(www.dangerousdecibels.org)

It’s How You Listen That Counts (www.earbud.org)

Findings From the Environmental Scan

• Gaps exist in youth knowledge of NIHL and between awareness and positive action.

– Knowledge: 16 percent of adolescents and young adults reported in an MTV survey that they had heard, read, or seen anything related to the issue of hearing loss.

– Behavior: 72 percent of college students, who demonstrated a high degree of knowledge about NIHL prevention, reported that they never wore hearing protection.

Findings From theEnvironmental Scan

Lessons Learned Fromthe Environmental Scan

• Programmatic– Give a NIHL campaign a higher priority within NIDCD. – Conduct a comprehensive campaign evaluation.

• Strategic– Focus on a specific target audience.– Select partners and delivery channels with the highest potential

to attract and engage the target audience. – Reach additional target audiences by supporting programs

conducted by other organizations.

• Tactical– Conduct a more aggressive and responsive media outreach.– Make greater use of technology to expand campaign outreach.

Recommendations From the Environmental Scan

• Coalition involvement– Coalition members reflect the goal of WISE EARS! – Majority of coalition members do not promote the

campaign aggressively. – Many respondents value, use, and refer others to the

WISE EARS! Web site and materials. – Respondents indicate a willingness to partner with

NIDCD to promote future health messages.

Key Findings Fromthe Coalition InterviewsFindings From theCoalition Interviews

• Future direction– Develop NIHL-prevention materials for a more

targeted audience.– Focus the campaign on youth. – Conduct a more aggressive campaign, with more

emphasis on distributing materials through the Web, mass media, and partnering organizations.

Recommendations From the Coalition Interviews

• Focus on children ages nine to 14 supported by:– Studies suggesting exposure to hazardous levels of

noise.– Opportunity to influence attitudes and behaviors

before or as tweens develop listening, leisure, and working habits.

– Opportunity to complement existing education programs aimed at youth.

Recommended Target Audience: Tweens

• Developing a new NIHL prevention campaign will involve:

– Tailoring materials to appeal to the specific target audience.

– Pretesting concepts, messages, and materials with the intended audience.

– Developing collaborative partnerships.

Next Steps: Retarget, Rename, and Redesign

• Partner opportunities and responsibilities:– Extend outreach and campaign communication

channels. – Raise national awareness of their own organization. – Receive campaign materials to use in support of their

own outreach efforts.– Receive recognition in media materials. – Annual evaluation of their involvement and

commitment.

Next Steps: Rebuild and Reinvigorate Partnerships

Patricia BlessingChief, Office of Health Communication and Public LiaisonNational Institute on Deafness andOther Communication Disorders301-496-7243blessinp@mail.nih.gov www.nidcd.nih.gov

Contact Information

Environmental Scan Bibliography

Biassoni, E.C., Serra, M.R., Richter, U., Joekes, S., Yacci, M.R., Carignani, J.A., Abraham, S., Minoldo, G., and Franco, G. (2005). Recreational noise exposure and its effects on the hearing of adolescents. Part II: Development of hearing disorders. International Journal of Audiology, 44, 74–86.

Bogoch, I.I., House, R.A., and Kudla, I. (2005). Perceptions about hearing protection and noise-induced hearing loss of attendees of rock concerts. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 96, 69–72.

Borchgrevink, H.M. (2003). Does health promotion work in relation to noise? Noise & Health, 5 25–30.

Chung, J.H., Des Roches, C.M., Meunier, J., and Eavey, R.D. (2005). Evaluation of noise-induced hearing loss in young people using a Web-based survey technique. Pediatrics, 115, 861–867.

Crandell, C., Mills, T.L., and Gauthier, R. (2004). Knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes about hearing loss and hearing protection among racial/ethnically diverse young adults. Journal of the National Medical Association 96, 176–186.

Daniell, W.E., Swan, S.S., McDaniel, M.M., Camp, J.E., Cohen, M.A., and Stebbins, J.G. (2006). Noise exposure and hearing loss prevention programmes after 20 years of regulations in the United States. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63, 343–351.

Fausti, S.A., Wilmington, D.J., Helt, P.V., Helt, W.J., and Konrad-Martin, D. (2005). Hearing health and care: The need for improved hearing loss prevention and hearing conservation practices. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 42, 45–62.

Environmental Scan Bibliography

Folmer, R.L., Griest, S.E., and Martin, W.H. (2002). Hearing conservation education programs for children: A review. Journal of School Health, 72, 51–57.

Kujawa, S.G. and Liberman, M.C. (2006). Acceleration of age-related hearing loss by early noise exposure: Evidence of a misspent youth. Journal of Neuroscience, 26(7), 2115–2123.

Niskar, A.S., Kieszak, S.M., Holmes, A.E., Esteban, E., Rubin, C., Brody, D.J. (2001). Estimated prevalence of hearing loss among children 6 to 19 years of age: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 1988–1994. United States. Pediatrics, 108(1), 40–43.

Sadhra, S., Jackson, C.A., Ryder, T., and Brown, M.J. (2002). Noise exposure and hearing loss among student employees working in university entertainment venues. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 46, 455–463.

Serra, M.R., Biassoni, E.C., Richter, U., Minoldo, G., Franco, G., Abraham, S., Carignani, J.A., Joekes, S., and Yacci, M.R. (2005). Recreational noise exposure and its effects on the hearing of adolescents. Part I: An interdisciplinary long-term study. International Journal of Audiology, 44, 65–73.

Weichbold, V., and Zorowka, P. (2003). Effects of a hearing protection campaign on the discotheque attendance habits of high-school students. International Journal of Audiology, 42, 489–493.

Widen, S.E.O., and Erlandsson, W.I. (2004). The influence of socio-economic status on adolescent attitude to social noise and hearing protection. Noise & Health, 7, 59–70.