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Hearing thresholds for U.S. Marines: comparison of aviation, combat arms, and other personnel
Rachel Barney1, Bruce K Bohnker
1Embry Riddle University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA.
Introduction:
Aviation personnel in the U.S. Marine Corps are exposed to auditory trauma that may produce hearing loss in excess of personnel with other work exposures.
Methods:
U.S. Marine Corps personnel in the Navy and Marine Corps Hearing Conservation Database (1995-1999; n = 20,645) were analyzed. The outcome variable was a hearing threshold at 4000 Hz in the left ear greater than 25 dB for annual and periodic audiograms. Personnel were characterized by gender, officer status, 5-yr age groups, and by military occupational skills (MOS) groups of "aviation," "combat arms," and "other."
Results:
After adjustment by logistic regression for age group, gender, and officer status, the "aviation" group was not different from the "other" category, while the "combat arms" group was more likely to have elevated hearing thresholds. Officers and women demonstrated significantly lower rates for elevated thresholds.
Discussion:
These findings provide information for personnel planning and assessing military hearing conservation programs.
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