University/Organization
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLUMBIA COLLEGE
Title
PREVENTING NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS IN FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS IN RURAL AMERICA
Synopsis
According to the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD, 2010), more than 20 million Americans (all ages) are exposed to hazardous sound (noise) levels on a regular basis, without the use of hearing protection devices (HPD). This study seeks to determine the percentage of farmers and agricultural workers in rural South Carolina who are directly affected by this phenomenon, and those who take proactive measures to protect their hearing from noise exposure.