Background: Worldwide, more than one billion people are affected by hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is reported among the most prevalent occupational diseases. However, little is known about the current level of knowledge and attitude towards NIHL among general population.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of adult population in Albaha Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concerning the factors that contribute to Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and the use of hearing protection.
Methods: A 16-item self-administrated questionnaire was used to measure the knowledge, habits, attitudes, and perception of NIHL and each participant's use of hearing protection. The questionnaire included multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank format questions. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: 1) demographic information, including age, sex, college major, and prior coursework regarding hearing in noise; 2) knowledge of hearing, the auditory mechanism, and noise-induced hearing impairment.
Results: we received 296 valid responses. Fifty-nine percentage were male, 37 % percentage were students, 21 % were soldiers and 17 % were teachers. Only 19 % said that hearing loss cannot be cured and 53 % knew that it can happen at any age. Interestingly, 94 % never wore an ear plug before.
Conclusion: Our study showed low percentage of correct answers about causes and protective measures against hearing loss. Future health care program should consider initiatives and public health campaigns to improve the public's knowledge and attitude.