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Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes in US Service Members and Veterans Deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes in US Service Members and Veterans Deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Sarah M. Theodoroff, M. Samantha Lewis, Robert L. Folmer, James A. Henry and Kathleen F. Carlson
Epidemiologic reviews, v 37(1), pp 71-85
01 Jan 2015
PMID: 25600417
url
https://doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxu005View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

prevalence risk factors hearing loss veterans’ health tinnitus
Hearing loss and tinnitus are the 2 most prevalent service-connected disabilities among veterans in the United States. Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn have been exposed to multiple hazards associated with these conditions, such as blasts/explosions, ototoxic chemicals, and most notably high levels of noise. We conducted a systematic literature review of evidence on 1) prevalence of, 2) risk and protective factors for, and 3) functional and quality-of-life outcomes of hearing impairment and tinnitus in US Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn veterans and military personnel. We identified studies published from 2001 through 2013 using PubMed, PsycINFO, REHABDATA, Cochrane Library, pearling, and expert recommendation. Peer-reviewed English language articles describing studies of 30 or more adults were included if they informed one or more key questions. A total of 839 titles/abstracts were reviewed for relevance by investigators trained in critical analysis of literature; 14 studies met inclusion criteria. Of these, 13 studies presented data on prevalence and 4 on risk/protective factors, respectively. There were no included studies reporting on outcomes. Findings from this systematic review will help inform clinicians, researchers, and policy makers on future resource and research needs pertaining to hearing impairment and tinnitus in this newest generation of veterans.

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Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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