Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36206261›Full record

ArticlePloS one2022

Acceptability of the Wulira app in assessing occupational hearing loss among workers in a steel and iron manufacturing industry.

Immaculate Atukunda, Andrew Weil Semulimi, Festo Bwambale, Joab Mumbere, Nelson Twinamasiko, Mariam Nakabuye, John Mukisa, David Mukunya, Charles Batte

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact, top 80% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Immaculate AtukundaDepartment of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Andrew Weil SemulimiDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0003-0588-1559
Festo BwambaleDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Joab MumbereDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Nelson TwinamasikoDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0003-3716-1468
Mariam NakabuyeDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
John MukisaDepartment of Immunology and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0002-9208-0313
David MukunyaFaculty of Health Sciences, Department of Community and Public Health, Busitema University, Mbale, Uganda.
Charles BatteDepartment of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Makerere University · UGBusitema University · UG

Funding

Training in noncommunicable diseases epidemiological, data science and Implementation Science research to strengthen evidence-based interventions, policy and control in Uganda.D43TW011401 · FIC · MAKERERE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Charles Batte, William Checkley · 2019 to 2026
$1.8M
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW011401
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndustrial workers are at a high risk of acquiring noise induced hearing loss, yet there is minimal hearing loss screening of such groups of people. Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), the gold standard for hearing loss screening, is expensive, and not readily available at health sites. Mobile audiometry can bridge this gap. However, there is limited knowledge on its acceptability in low-income countries like Uganda. We aimed to assess the acceptability of using the Wulira App, a validated mobile phone app, in assessing hearing loss among industrial workers in Kampala.

methodsWe carried out a qualitative study in a steel and iron manufacturing industry in Kampala, in April 2021. Four Focus group discussions (FGDs) with 8 participants per FGD, and 12 In-depth Interviews (IDI), were conducted on the industrial workers. The industrial workers were first tested for hearing loss, then enrolled for the FGDs and IDI. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim. Themes were derived using thematic content analysis, borrowing from Sekhon's model of Acceptability of Health Interventions.

resultsIndustrial workers found the Wulira App user friendly, cheap, time saving, and an effective hearing loss assessment tool. However, barriers such as lack of smart phones, difficulty in navigating the app, and fear of getting bad news hindered the App's acceptability, as a hearing assessment tool.

conclusionHearing loss assessment using Wulira App was acceptable to the industry workers. There is need of informing industrial workers on the essence of carrying out regular hearing loss screening, such that barriers like fear of getting screened are overcome.

Indexed as

Hearing Loss, Noise-InducedMobile ApplicationsNoise, OccupationalOccupational DiseasesHumansIronManufacturing IndustrySteelUgandaIronSteel

Identifiers

PMID36206261
PMCPMC9543627
OpenAlexW4303449474

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.