Using the Machine Learning Algorithm XGBoost to Understand the Correlates of Wearing Hearing Protection in Central...

Hearing loss is a common work-related condition. Estimates suggest that 46%-86% of agricultural workers have hearing loss. Agricultural safety programs have been working to increase the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against noise, respiratory, and chemical exposures, but PPE use remains sporadic. The purpose of this study was to assess factors that might explain the use of hearing protection in agricultural operators working in seven states in the Central United States.

The Farm and Ranch Health and Safety Survey data collected in 2018, 2020, and 2023 were used for this study. We examined 24 potential correlates of wearing hearing protection. Bivariate analyses were conducted using a Wilcoxon two-sample test based on dichotomizing the frequency of hearing protection use at the median of 10%. We used XGBoost with training and testing data sets to identify the most important factors that explain wearing hearing protection.

The strongest predictors of wearing hearing protection was wearing respiratory and chemical PPE, followed by age. Noise exposure was low in importance. The use of hearing, respiratory, and chemical PPE followed a similar pattern over the age spectrum with chemical PPE use showing the most frequent use. Younger operators more frequently wore PPE.

Wearing hearing PPE is more likely to be related to personality traits related to risk perception and less likely due to noise exposures. This is an important consideration when designing hearing loss prevention programs because messaging needs to address safety motivation and unrealistic optimism.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32513328.