Self-Reported Hearing Aid Requirements among U.S. Military Personnel and the Association with Probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract Background Auditory problems are ubiquitous among U.S. military personnel. Hearing aids are an effective treatment for both hearing loss and tinnitus, two of the most common diagnoses among veterans awarded disability compensation, but the prevalence of hearing aid requirements in the U.S. military is unknown. Another military health problem is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder characterized by exposure to a traumatic event. While some studies have found an association between auditory problems and PTSD, no research has examined the relationship between hearing aid requirements and PTSD. Purpose To identify the prevalence of self-reported hearing aid requirements in U.S. military personnel and examine the association with PTSD. Research Design Cross-sectional study. Study Sample The study population included 104,728 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps service members who completed a Periodic Health Assessment between August and December 2021. Data Analysis Prevalence of self-reported hearing aid requirements was calculated. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the association between hearing aid requirements and PTSD, while adjusting for covariates. Results Overall, 1.0% (1,088/104,728) of the study population self-reported requiring hearing aids. Hearing aid requirements were positively associated with age, and the highest prevalence was among those aged 40 years and older (3.8%). There was also a statistically higher prevalence among men compared with women (1.2 vs. 0.5%), Marines compared with Navy personnel (1.2 vs. 0.9%), and active duty compared with National Guard/Reserve components (1.1 vs. 0.6%). A significantly higher proportion of service members who required hearing aids screened positive for PTSD than those without hearing aids (30.4 vs. 7.5%). In multivariable regression, those who required a hearing aid, compared with those who did not, had more than three times higher odds of screening positive for PTSD (odds ratio: 3.45; 95% confidence interval: 3.00‐3.96). Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the prevalence of self-reported hearing aid requirements in the U.S. military as well as an association between requiring hearing aids and screening positive for PTSD. Our findings reaffirm the need for interprofessional collaboration between audiologists and psychological health professionals when providing care for these patients.