A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding the Ill Effects of Prolonged Use of In-Ear Audio Devices among BSc Nursing Students in A Selected College, Kozhikode

Hearing loss, particularly due to noise exposure is a growing public health concern, especially among young adults. The widespread use of personal audio devices at high volume levels has been linked to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The present study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the ill-effects of prolonged use of in-ear audio devices among BSc. nursing students in a selected college at Kozhikode. The objectives of the study were: to assess the knowledge of nursing students on the ill effects of prolonged usage of in- ear audio devices, to assess the attitude of nursing students towards the prolonged use of in-ear audio devices, to assess the practice of prolonged usage of in-ear audio devices, to find out the association between knowledge, attitude and practice with demographic variables. The conceptual framework was based on Health Belief Model. The tools used included socio-demographic performa, self-structured knowledge questionnaire, attitude rating scale and practice checklist. A pilot study was conducted, followed by data collection among 270 BSc nursing students. The data collected were tabulated and analysed. The findings showed, 42% (113 students) have good knowledge, 51% (139 students) have adequate knowledge, 7% (18 students) have poor knowledge. 50% (136 students) have good attitude, 50% (134 students) have average attitude. 58% (156 students) have good level of practice, 40% (107 students) have average level of practice, 2% (7 students) have poor level of practice. The study emphasizes the importance of health education and awareness programs regarding the safe use of audio devices.