Associations between earplug use and hearing loss in ROK military personnel

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Military Medicine
• Audiology

Background:

• Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a significant concern in military settings.
• Despite the provision of earplugs by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense (MND), NIHL persists.
• The study hypothesizes that actual earplug usage rates, not just supply, influence NIHL prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between earplug usage and the incidence of hearing loss in ROK military personnel.
• To identify specific military branches or roles with higher risks of hearing loss related to earplug use.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2014-2015 Military Health Survey, encompassing 13,470 ROK military personnel.
• Employed self-reported data on hearing loss and earplug usage.
• Conducted logistic regression analysis to determine associations between earplug use and hearing loss.

Main Results:

• A total of 13,470 personnel participated, with an 18.8% reporting always wearing earplugs and 2.8% reporting hearing loss.
• Personnel who sometimes wore earplugs (OR=1.48) and never wore earplugs (OR=1.53) showed significantly higher rates of hearing loss.
• Subgroup analysis indicated increased hearing loss associated with non-earplug use in the Air Force, non-combat branches, forward areas, and among long-term service members.

Conclusions:

• A clear association exists between reduced earplug use and hearing loss within the ROK military.
• The ROK MND, across all branches (Army, Navy/Marines, Air Force), needs to implement clear guidelines for earplug use during field training.
• Regulation or institutionalization of earplug usage policies is recommended to protect military personnel's hearing health.