LTC Lorraine Babeu
There are military and federal statutes that require personnel exposed to high intensity noise to use hearing protection. Although traditional hearing conservation programs have made great strides in reducing the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss in the military, noise-induced hearing loss continues to be a problem. The main reason is difficulty getting exposed individuals motivated to wear hearing protection on a consistent basis. The Transtheoretical Model of stages and processes of change can provide a framework that hearing conservationists can use to help patients want to use hearing protection properly and consistently. The model looks at the stages and processes of change that an individual will process through as they make the decision to alter their behavior. The goal of this presentation will be to provide interventions that could be used during health education briefings and beyond to assist individuals in moving through the stages to consistent use of hearing protection.