Objective: This study evaluated the influence of tinnitus and hearing loss on the functional status of military Service members and Veterans.
Design: Participants completed audiologic testing and self-report instruments to assess tinnitus, hearing, and general functioning. We conducted multiple linear regression analyses using cross-sectional data with functional status as the dependent variable. The primary independent variables were tinnitus and average low-, high-, and extended high-frequency hearing thresholds. Secondary independent variables were subjective tinnitus severity and hearing difficulties. Each of the independent variables was modelled separately for Service members and Veterans; covariates for each multivariable model were identified a priori and, depending on the association being modelled, included age, gender, blast-wave exposure, and history of military traumatic brain injury.
Study sample: Data were analysed from 283 Service members and 390 Veterans.
Results: After controlling for potential confounders, presence of tinnitus, tinnitus severity, average low-frequency hearing thresholds, and subjective hearing difficulties were significantly associated with functional status in Service members and Veterans.
Conclusions: These results suggest that tinnitus and poorer low-frequency hearing, and the perceived severity of tinnitus and hearing difficulties, may be associated with poorer functional status among Service members and Veterans.
Keywords: Noise; epidemiology; psycho-social/emotional; tinnitus.