Awareness of the Profession of Audiology Among Ethnically Diverse Adolescents: A Pre- and Post-Education Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge about the profession of Audiology among adolescents from diverse backgrounds before, immediately after, and 6 months after an educational program on the profession of Audiology. Method: Adolescents (N = 152) from ethnically diverse backgrounds responded to a survey investigating their awareness about Audiology. Thereafter, they participated in an educational program on the profession of Audiology. One third of the participants were invited to respond to the survey immediately after the educational program. Six months after the educational program, 120 of the original sample of 152 participants responded again to the survey in order to assess if the gains from the educational program were retained. Results: The results from the baseline survey indicated that approximately 25% of participants were aware about the profession of Audiology. None of the participants reported that balance assessment or management was within the scope of practice of audiologists in the baseline survey. The chi-square test indicated that the educational program resulted in significant enhancement in awareness about the profession of Audiology immediately after education. Results also indicated that the gains in knowledge were retained 6 months after education. Conclusion: In light of the existing literature, it is clear that there is a need to recruit an ethnically diverse talent pool of individuals who will choose a career in Audiology in the forthcoming decades. Preliminary results from this study could be helpful in strategizing efforts to improve the visibility of Audiology to younger college aspirants. Advantages of reaching to school-age students at grassroots levels and educating them about the profession of Audiology are discussed in this article.