Psychological Correlates of Hearing Protective Behaviors in Adolescents and Young Adults

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss is both irreversible and preventable. However, a minority of adolescents and young adults do engage in hearing protective behaviors that reduce the exposure to noise, such as the use of hearing protection and the use of a volume limiter. To promote hearing protective behaviors in adolescents and young adults it is imperative to know the most relevant, and potentially modifiable, psychological factors that stimulate or hinder these protective behaviors.Objective: The present study aims to offer a systematic literature overview of psychological correlates of hearing protective behaviors in adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 25 years, and identify those correlates that are likely to be the most promising behavioral intervention targets in this age group.Conclusions: A total of 82 studies were included in the present review, of which data of 24 studies could be used to help identify the psychological factors most strongly associated with hearing protective behavior. Taking into account both the strength of the associations and the univariate distributions, the following psychological factors showed the greatest potential as behavioral intervention targets: attitude toward recreational noise, perceived barriers, capacity, perceived norms, and perceived threat susceptibility. The outcomes of the present review may help guide the development of more effective behavioral interventions to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in younger age groups.