title: The Department of Defense Epidemiologic and Economic Burden of Hearing Loss study.
abstract: Although studies have examined the relation between military-related noise and hearing, comprehensive data to calculate rates of hearing loss across all Services and to determine economic impact are lacking. The goal of the multiphase Department of Defense (DoD) Epidemiologic and Economic Burden of Hearing Loss (DEEBoHL) project is to examine rates of hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury, relevant noise exposures, and to determine the economic burden of these outcomes to the DoD and Service Members. The DoD Hearing Center of Excellence is supporting the following Phase I specific aims, among active duty Service Members to (1) calculate rates of hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury, and (2) develop a framework for the DoD to conduct comprehensive economic burden studies for hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing injury. The study is led by a multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and The Geneva Foundation, with guidance from experts who make up the study advisory board. In this article, we focus on an overview of the DEEBoHL study, the methods for the first aim of this effort, and describe future plans for the study.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Sharon P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Hasanat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alamgir
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Kristina W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Whitworth
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Natasha S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Gorrell
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Betancourt
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cornell
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delclos
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Douphrate
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Dritana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marko
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Hari R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Sagiraju
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, 59MDW/SG02O, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Lawrence W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7711 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229.
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, 59MDW/SG02O, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Tanisha L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hammill
authors.affiliation: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Senchak
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, 59MDW/SG02O, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Suite 1, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Packer
mesh_terms: D017048:Health Care Costs; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D059030:United States Department of Defense