The purpose of the study is to understand the cultural impact on hearing loss among Native Americans who traditionally rely on oral communication. This Native American community based participatory research hearing protection study proposes to implement a culturally relevant Talking Circles intervention to address hearing health inequities among Native Americans. The goal is to establish a sustainable culturally based Talking Circle (TC) hearing loss prevention program to disseminate messages, thus promote hearing health and improve access to preventive tools within the larger tribal community with high occupational and recreational noise exposure. TC Participants will: * Complete a set of questionnaires (3 total) throughout the study. * Complete an audiometer hearing test with headphones, and watch one video computer related to hearing and how to protect hearing at the tribal wellness center. * In 6-months into the trial, participants will be asked to complete the same set of questionnaires from the beginning of the study. * In 12-months after the baseline surveys and hearing test, participants will be asked to complete the same set of questionnaires that were done at the beginning of the study and complete another hearing test by the computer. The intervention will include facilitator training for local implementation and a delayed-intervention control to assess knowledge gains and protective behavior changes. Through use of the TC, the participants in the training program can use the support and insight from each other to be trained to establish self-sustaining hearing loss prevention program in the tribal community.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
400
The TC intervention involves applying a tribal specific theory-based approach. The TCI is based within the Native Reliance theoretical model, which is a cultural identity construct that reflects the holistic worldview, values, beliefs, and behaviors within Native American culture. The community partnership community will assess and validate appropriate tribal language, community needs, and culturally content to be included in the TCI.
The control group participants will receive the video/audio computer program on hearing, hearing loss, and diabetes prevention strategies. Participants will receive the delayed TCI after completing the 12-month follow up.
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States
Knowledge of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Knowledge of NIHL will be assessed by benefits and barriers (3-item and 6-item, 5-point Likert scales, respectively) of Use of Hearing Protection as reflecting declarative knowledge (factual), and self-efficacy (2-item, 5-point Likert scale) in Use of Hearing Protection as reflecting procedure knowledge (how to do).
Time frame: Data collected at 3 time points: baseline enrollment, and at 6 and 12-month posttests.
Use of Hearing Protections Devices (HPDs)
Mean use of HPDs will be calculated using the participant's use of HPDs in percentage of the time (0%-100%) when in loud noise at two time points (the past three months and one month) measured at pretest and at 6 and 12-month posttests. As the two scores for the two time points are expected to show a strong correlation, the mean of two scores will be used as the outcome variable.
Time frame: Data collected at baseline enrollment and at 6 and 12-month posttests.
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