Iran Occupational Health

Background and aims: The aim of this study is determining factors related to workers' use of hearing protection devices in Shoga factory Yaft Abad, based on Protection Motivation Theory.

Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, 60 workers who were exposed to harmful noise selected among factory shifts by randomized sampling method. The questionnaire included 6 demographic questions, 8 knowledge questions, 20 perceptions questions, 2 behavior questions, 7 improvement questions. Questionnaire acquired its validity by content test and its reliability was acquired by using Test-retest & Cronbach Alpha test. Data were analyzed on the SPSS (15) software by using descriptive statistics and analytical tests. 19.2 never used it.

Results: 40.4 percent of the workers used the hearing protection device most of the time, 44.4 used it usually. There were significant positive correlations between perceived vulnerability score with self-efficacy score (r=.41, p=.001), perceived response efficacy score (r=.44, p=.03) and protection motivation score (r=.5, p=.002).There were significant positive correlations between perceived response efficacy score with evaluation of coping score (r=.34, p=.01 and protection motivation score with behavior score (r=.56, p=.03). There was significant negative correlations between perceived cost with evaluation of coping score (r=-.84, p=.002). 

Conclusion: The percentage of using hearing protection is inadequately in the workers. For increase the percentage, planning effective interventions based on protection motivation theory which improves perceptions of severity, vulnerability, perceived cost, self-efficacy and perceived response efficacy is recommended.