title: Stages of change in hearing-protection behavior, cognition, and hearing status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine stages of hearing-protection behavioral change and their relationships with cognitions and hearing status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of 769 construction workers who completed a survey and audiometric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of  participants (over 64%) were in the preparation stage. Participants in the action/maintenance stage demonstrated significantly greater benefits, self-efficacy, and interpersonal influence; fewer barriers; and better hearing. This is the first study that shows significantly better health outcome,  hearing ability, as the stage progresses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study demonstrates preliminary validity of the stages of change with hearing-protection behavior. Future hearing-protection intervention should integrate the stages of change to increase effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA, USA. oisaeng.hong@nursing.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: OiSaeng
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dal Lae
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Madeleine J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ronis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D060389:Construction Industry; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004430:Ear Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology