title: Hearing conservation education programs for children: a review.
abstract: Prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among children is increasing. Experts have recommended implementation of hearing conservation education programs in schools. Despite these recommendations made over the past three decades, basic hearing conservation information that could prevent countless cases of NIHL remains absent from most school curricula. This paper reviews existing hearing conservation education programs and materials designed for children or that could be adapted for classroom use. This information will be useful as a resource for educators and school administrators and should encourage further development, implementation, and dissemination of hearing conservation curricula. The overall, and admittedly ambitious, goal of this review is to facilitate implementation of hearing conservation curricula into all US schools on a continuing basis. Ultimately, implementation of such programs should reduce the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss among children and adults.
authors.affiliation: Oregon Hearing Research Center, Mail Code NRC04, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201-3098, USA. folmerr@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Folmer
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Griest
authors.forename: William Hal
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003479:Curriculum; D004181:Directories as Topic; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D013664:Teaching Materials; D006113:United Kingdom