Developing an Educational Video to Promote University Students’ Awareness of Hearing Loss Caused by Personal Listening Devices

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a short educational video on students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding the risks associated with improper use of personal listening devices. Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental design involving 242 students from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices at three time points: prior to viewing a short educational video, 1 week after the intervention, and 1 month later. The video was developed to address noise-induced hearing loss associated with personal listening device use, and its content validity was evaluated by an expert panel. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices across the three assessment points. Results: At baseline, 74.8% of participants were aware that high volume levels can affect hearing, but only 35.5% reported having sufficient information regarding exposure to loud noise. In addition, 50.8% indicated a preference for lowering the volume of their personal listening devices. Median knowledge scores increased from 66.7 at baseline to 88.9 at both follow-ups (χ 2 = 145.2, p < .001). Attitude scores improved from 66.7 to 88.9 at 1 week and remained above baseline at 1 month (χ 2 = 123.6, p < .001), while practice scores increased from 53.8 to 69.2 at both follow-ups (χ 2 = 127.2, p < .001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that students’ knowledge regarding safe use of personal listening devices may be limited, which could negatively influence their listening behaviors. These results highlight the need for targeted and time-efficient educational strategies. Brief video-based interventions, such as the one used in this study, may promote hearing health awareness and safer listening practices among young adults.