Date of Award
1-23-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Communication Disorders, MCD
First Advisor
Christina Akbari-Davis
Committee Members
Julie King; Nina Crutchfield
Abstract
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a preventable yet widespread occupational hazard, especially among agricultural workers who are regularly exposed to high levels of noise from equipment, machinery, and firearms (Lander et al., 2007; Milz et al., 2008). Young and future farmers may be particularly vulnerable due to early and prolonged exposure combined with limited awareness about the risks of noise and the importance of hearing protection (Balanay & Kearney, 2015; Martin et al., 2006). This study examined the perceptions and knowledge of NIHL among 83 students (76 high school and 7 college) in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. A pretest–posttest design measured students’ beliefs about noise exposure, the effects of NIHL, and prevention practices. Most survey items showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest, indicating increased knowledge about the risks of noise and the value of hearing protection. These findings suggest that a brief educational presentation can effectively raise awareness and could be integrated into agricultural classes or FFA meetings to help prevent NIHL in this high-risk population.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Hufstedler, Madyson, "The Knowledge and Perceptions of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Agricultural Education Students" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1139.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1139
