عنوان
پدید آورنده
موضوع
رده
کتابخانه
محل استقرار
TL3z17z545
انگلیسی
Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Occupational Injuries Among Career Firefighters
[Thesis]
Phelps, Stephanie
Hong, Oi Saeng
UCSF
2016
UCSF
2016
Background: Firefighting is a hearing critical profession. Firefighters must be able to hear verbal and non-verbal auditory signals in hazardous and unpredictable environments. It is important to investigate factors that place a firefighter at risk of occupational injury, including personal, organizational, and environmental factors. The impact of hearing loss and/or tinnitus on occupational injury has not been researched among career firefighters in the United States. Purpose: The aims of this dissertation are to: (1) identify the incidence of self-reported occupational injuries experienced by firefighters and their injury characteristics; (2) identify the prevalence of hearing loss (measured and perceived) and/or tinnitus reported by firefighters, and (3) evaluate the association between hearing loss and/or tinnitus and occupational injury among career firefighters. Methods: A total of 249 firefighters from Central Texas and Northern California participated in a cross-sectional, internet-based survey. Occupational injury (within the past 12 months) and auditory function information was collected via self-report. Audiogram results were obtained from the firefighters' medical chart. Data collection included information about personal factors, organizational and environmental factors, and auditory function obtained through online self-report surveys. Results: The literature review revealed that both hearing loss and hearing loss combined with tinnitus are associated with an increased risk for occupational injury among agricultural workers, blue-collar workers, older workers, and workers with disabilities. The first data-based study revealed that approximately 27% of firefighters reported an occupational injury within the past 12 months, and 4.4% experienced multiple injuries. The majority of injuries occurred on the scene of a non-fire call, while performing an activity that required lifting, pushing, and/or pulling. Firefighters who reported an occupational injury were more likely to be older and have a higher ratio of effort to reward imbalance (ERI), indicating higher levels of occupational stress experienced, compared to their co-workers who did not report an occupational injury. Injured firefighters were also more likely to report higher rates of overcommitment, fewer job rewards (money/salary), less esteem (respect and support), and fewer promotional prospects. The second data-based study concluded that increasing age and occupational stress was associated with an increased risk of occupational injury. High frequency hearing loss, tinnitus, self-reported ability to detect sound, and self-reported posture were not significantly associated with occupational injury. However, there was a significant interaction between ERI ratios and tinnitus; firefighters with both occupational stress and tinnitus were significantly more likely to report an occupational injury compared to their co-workers without tinnitus. Conclusion: This dissertation study suggests that age, occupational stress, and tinnitus are risk factors for occupational injury among firefighters. Neither hearing loss nor tinnitus (alone) was a risk factor for occupational injury. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of occupational stress and tinnitus on occupational injuries among firefighters.
Phelps, Stephanie
Hong, Oi Saeng
UCSF
مطالعه متن کتاب p
[Thesis]
276903
a
Y
