Abstract
<p>Young adults are frequently exposed to recreational noise, yet hearing protective behaviors (HPBs) remain uncommon. This qualitative study explored psychological determinants related to safe headphone use, earplug use in amplified music settings, and hearing protection at work. Ten semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 87 Dutch participants aged 12–25 years. Data were analyzed using content analysis following the Reproducible Open Coding Kit and the Framework Method. Across all three HPBs, awareness, behavioral cues, perceived threat susceptibility, and perceived threat severity emerged as promising intervention targets. For earplug use in amplified music settings, perceived barriers and descriptive norms were additional targets, whereas descriptive and injunctive norms were particularly relevant for hearing protection at work. These findings provide guidance for developing interventions to promote hearing protective behaviors in adolescents and young adults and highlight the importance of tailoring intervention strategies to specific hearing protective behaviors.</p>