title: The prevalence of tinnitus and the relationship with neuroticism in a middle-aged UK population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research has suggested that a substantial proportion of the population are severely affected by tinnitus, however recent population data are lacking. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the perception of severity is closely related to personality factors such as neuroticism.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In a subset (N=172,621) of a large population sample of >500,000 adults aged 40 to 69years, (from the UK Biobank dataset) we calculated the prevalence of tinnitus and that which is perceived as bothersome, and examined the association between tinnitus and a putative predisposing personality factor, neuroticism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited through National Health Service registers and aimed to be inclusive and as representative of the UK population as possible. The assessment included subjective questions concerning hearing and tinnitus. Neuroticism was self-rated on 13 questions from the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Associations between neuroticism and tinnitus were tested with logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of tinnitus was significantly higher for males, and increased with age, doubling between the youngest and oldest age groups (males 13% and 26%; females 9% and 19% respectively). Of those with tinnitus, females were more likely to report bothersome tinnitus. Neuroticism was associated with current tinnitus and bothersome tinnitus, with the items: 'loneliness', 'mood swings', 'worrier/anxious' and 'miserableness', as the strongest associations of bothersome tinnitus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuroticism was identified as a novel association with tinnitus. Individuals with tinnitus and higher levels of neuroticism are more likely to experience bothersome tinnitus, possibly as a reflection of greater sensitivity to intrusive experiences.
authors.affiliation: NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; School of Clinical Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK; MRC Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. Electronic address: abby.mccormack@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Abby
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.affiliation: NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; School of Clinical Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK. Electronic address: mark.edmondson-jones@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edmondson-Jones
authors.affiliation: NIHR Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; School of Clinical Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK. Electronic address: heather.fortnum@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fortnum
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK. Electronic address: piers.dawes@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Piers
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dawes
authors.affiliation: School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, UK; Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, UK. Electronic address: hugh.middleton@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK; Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: kevin.munro@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45213, USA. Electronic address: david.moore@cchmc.org.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010551:Personality; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Epidemiology; Neuroticism; Older adults; Personality; Tinnitus