Description

Hearing loss due to noise exposure is a prevalent occupational problem. Noise-related hearing loss can lead to difficulties in life such as communicating, social isolation, depression, and other problems. Farmworkers may work in environments with hazardous noise levels due to machinery, as well as other exposures that are known to be hazardous to the auditory system (e.g., pesticides), but to date there has been little research to explore hearing loss among this population. Our project was a survey-based study of Arizona/Mexico border farmworkers. The aim of our study was to gather data to determine the percentage of farmworkers that wear hearing protection in noisy work environments and the percentage of those that suspect their hearing was affected. We also aimed to determine any association between age, gender, number of years working, use of hearing protection, high noise environments, and hearing loss among survey respondents. Participants completed a brief anonymous survey that probed exposure to noise and pesticides, hearing protection, and hearing health. Out of a total 132 farmworkers surveyed, 96 (72.7%) reported never wearing hearing protection while working and approximately 30 farmworkers surveyed (22.7%) reported that they suspected having hearing loss. Most farmworkers we surveyed (84 out of 132, 63.6%) reported that their job was sometimes or always noisy, and most (95 out of 132, 72%) reported working with pesticides all of the time or sometimes. Our results suggest noise exposure is common among farmworkers. According to the data, noise exposure is most common in fieldwork done by men and pesticide exposure is most common in fieldwork done by women. Understanding risk factors associated with noise exposure is important for the development of appropriate safety measures known to lower the odds of experiencing hearing loss.