항공기 정비사의 지각된 소음이 청력 손실 우려에 미치는 영향과 보호행동의 완화효과 연구 -공군 전투기 정비인력 중 최종기회점검반을 중심으로- = Effects of Aircraft Technicians’ Perceived Noise on Hearing-Loss Concern and the Mitigating Role of Protective Behaviors: A Case Study of the Air Force Last Chance Inspection Team

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study is a case of a study that conducted an empirical analysis focusing on the Last Chance Inspection Team among the groups operating the maintenance of Air Force aircraft exposed to fighter noise. The mechanics are characterized by direct exposure to intermittent and impact noise of fighter engine power in a position close to the runway before takeoff of the aircraft. The purpose was to identify the factors influencing worry about hearing loss. To this end, the study applied perceived noise as a proximal and experience-based indicator of actual exposure, and adopted a perception–behavior framework in which interest in hearing protection is interpreted not merely as risk awareness but as an indicator of active engagement in protective behavior. In particular, it functions as an indicator of preventive capability, including knowledge, action readiness, self-efficacy, and consistent and accurate use of protective equipment, not a concept that means perception of risk in variables related to the interest.
The research data were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted among Last Chance Inspection maintenance personnel. The analysis employed hierarchical linear regression, an interaction model, and robustness verification through ordinal logistic and quantile regression analyses. The dependent variable was worry about hearing loss, and the predictor variables were entered stepwise, distinguishing between cognitive and perceptual factors. In addition, the potential moderating effects between these two factors were also examined.
The analysis results were consistent across all models. In the baseline model that did not include the perceived noise variable, both awareness of noise and hearing risks and interest in hearing protection were found to reduce worry about hearing loss. When perceived noise was added in Model 2, the overall explanatory power (R²) increased substantially to 0.58, and perceived noise emerged as a strong positive predictor (β = +0.439, p < .001). At the same step, the negative effect of interest in hearing protection remained statistically significant, although its magnitude decreased slightly, while the effect of risk awareness became nonsignificant. These results indicate that the level of noise perceived by workers plays a far more critical role in explaining worry about hearing loss than mere knowledge or awareness.
In the interaction model, the perceived noise × protection-interest term was nonsignificant, indicating that protective behavior functions as a level effect by lowering the overall baseline of concern rather than moderating the noise–worry gradient. In other words, hearing protection behavior reduces the intercept of worry but does not alter the slope of anxiety associated with perceived noise. Accordingly, the negative association between protection interest and worry is better understood through a preventive capability–based relief pathway rather than differences in risk perception alone.
This pattern was consistently reproduced across other statistical validation tests. In the ordinal logistic regression, the odds ratio (OR) for perceived noise was 2.18, indicating a clear positive association, while the OR for interest in hearing protection was 0.63, reflecting a relationship with reduced worry. Furthermore, the quantile regression (τ = 0.75) results showed that in groups with relatively higher levels of worry (upper quantiles), the positive effect of perceived noise and the negative effect of protection interest were even stronger.
These results confirmed that perceived noise played a role in raising the level of concern throughout the section. In addition, interest in hearing protection had the effect of lowering the level of concern overall. This provides that it is difficult to explain the relationship with simple risk perception alone. In other words, it is difficult to explain only with knowledge or recognition. It was confirmed that anxiety about hearing loss can be alleviated only when accompanied by a practical engagement. As a result, this study conducted an integrated analysis of perception-based exposure assessment and protection behavior. The results confirmed that concerns about hearing loss are determined by situational appraisals and behavioral readiness. However, it was noted that the effect works in an independent and additive way rather than interactive.
Based on these results, I would like to summarize the practical implications derived into four. First, it is suggested as a way to improve the effectiveness of the Hearing Conservation Program through fit-testing and institutionalization of a wearing management system. At this time, in the case of protective equipment, we intend to take it one step further from the existing simple purpose of payment. It proposes institutional management based on proper wearing and continuous wearing habits. In particular, systematic management is required for new employees or high-noise workers. Second, in the case of the direction of education, we would like to present a plan through a transition to behavioral change. It provides a continuous implementation of protective actions through scenario-based learning, real-time feedback, and participatory training through digital learning tools, beyond simple information transmission. Third, we propose a plan for differentiated intervention in high-risk areas and specific working groups. This means that noise exposure and level of concern differ by space and job. Therefore, measures through a precise approach such as exposure mapping, risk-based profiling, and detailed assignment of protective equipment are needed. Fourth, it presents a plan for environmental and structural control in parallel with personal protection measures. It proposes a plan to reduce perceived noise and strengthen the sense of control of workers by combining engineering controls such as visual noise indicators, spatial redesign, and alarm system. These strategies seek to extend hearing protection to system-level responsibility of the entire organization, not simply to the level of individual responsibility. It provides a comprehensive foundation for the development of a hearing preservation system in the military aviation maintenance field. On the other hand, the limitation of this study is that first, the level of perceived noise exposure was measured only by a questionnaire. There was a regret of transparency about the possibility of subjective bias. Therefore, in future studies, the necessity of increasing precision was confirmed by parallel physical indicators such as TWA, Peak dBC, SEL, and EPNL. Second, there was a difficulty in grasping a causal relationship according to the cross-sectional design. In future studies, the necessity of verifying temporal goodness-of-mouth through longitudinal studies or intervention-based design was confirmed. Third, there was a limit to the generalization of the results as the subject of the study was limited to a specific unit (Last Chance inspection team). Fourth, in this study, the quantitative verification of the effect of mitigating protective behavior was verified. However, for future studies, the necessity of a three-dimensional and comprehensive analysis through the application of mixed methods studies including qualitative factors was confirmed. Nevertheless, this study is significant in that it provided basic data for improving hearing preservation programs and strengthening organizational safety culture in the future by empirically identifying the perceived noise of field mechanics and suggesting the effect of mitigating protective behavior.
Beyond its practical implications, it advances academic understanding by integrating subjective noise appraisal with preventive capability mechanisms in a military occupational context.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 제1장 서론 ······························································ 01
• 1.1 연구 배경 및 필요성 ··············································· 01
• 1.2 연구 목적 ···························································· 03
• 1.3 연구 방법 및 절차 ·················································· 05
• 제2장 항공기 소음에 관한 이론적 고찰 ························ 08
• 2.1 소음의 정의 ·························································· 08
• 2.2 항공기 소음 특성 ··················································· 09
• 2.3 항공기 소음의 발생원 ·············································· 11
• 2.4 항공기 소음이 인체에 미치는 영향 ······························ 17
• 2.4.1 청각영향 ························································· 17
• 2.4.2 비청각적 생리·심리 영향 ······································ 17
• 2.4.3 수면과 의사소통 방해 ········································· 18
• 2.4.4 직무 수행과 안전 ··············································· 18
• 2.5 소음 저감 대책의 층위별 프레임 ································· 18
• 2.5.1 공학적 대책 ····················································· 18
• 2.5.2 행정·운영 대책 ·················································· 21
• 2.5.3 개인·행동 대책 ·················································· 21
• 2.6 선행연구 결과와 본 연구의 기여 ································· 21
• 제3장 연구방법 ·························································· 24
• 3.1 연구 설계 ···························································· 24
• 3.1.1 연구모형 ························································· 27
• 3.2 연구 대상 ···························································· 29
• 3.3 변수 및 측정 ························································ 29
• 3.3.1 종속변수 - 청력손실에 대한 우려 ··························· 29
• 3.3.2 주요 독립변수 및 통제변수 ··································· 31ii
• 3.4 점수화 및 전처리 ··················································· 32
• 3.5 통계분석 ····························································· 33
• 3.5.1 신뢰도 ···························································· 33
• 3.5.2 기술통계 ························································· 34
• 3.5.3 상관관계 ························································· 35
• 3.5.4 회귀분석 결과 ··················································· 37
• 3.5.5 순서형 로지스틱 회귀(종속: 청력손실에 대한 우려 3분위) 41
• 3.5.6 분위수 회귀(τ=0.75 ) ·········································· 42
• 제4장 설문조사 결과에 따른 청력 보호 방안 ··················· 45
• 4.1 청력 보호장비 핏테스트 및 착용관리 의무화 ··················· 45
• 4.2 교육의 행동 전이 중심 강화 ······································ 49
• 4.3 고위험 구간·집단 맞춤형 관리 ···································· 52
• 4.4 소음 저감 설계와의 연계 ·········································· 55
• 제5장 결론································································ 58
• 5.1 연구 요약 및 시사점 ··············································· 58
• 5.2 연구 한계 및 향후 과제 ··········································· 60
• ※ 참고 문헌 …………………………………………………………… 61
• ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………… 64
• <부록1> 지각된 소음의 영향과 보호행동 관한 설문조사 ……… 68
• 감사의 글 ………………………………………………………………… 73