title: Hearing Loss in Israeli Air Force Aviators: Natural History and Risk Factors.
abstract: To investigate the natural history of hearing loss (HL) in Israeli military aviators and its risk factors.
  
  
  
  Audiometric results of aviators with available audiometry at ages 30 and 40 years, and up to their last available audiometry were retrieved. HL DEFINITION: pure-tone threshold (PTT) of 30 dB or higher in at least one frequency in at least one ear, moderate-to-severe (M-S) HL as PTT of 45 dB or higher, and suspected noise-induced HL (NIHL) as HL at 3 to 6 kHz. Potential risk factors for HL were assessed by the χ(2) test and logistic regression models.
  
  
  
  298 aviators were included. Rates of HL increased with age, up to 57.5% at age 50. All M-S HL at age 50 years had clues on previous examinations, but new HL was observed in all ages. Age was found as a statistically significant risk factor, but aircraft type was not. Total flying hours were found to be an independent risk factor for suspected NIHL only. Self-reported earplug use was not found to protect from HL, with methodological limitations.
  
  
  
  HL is prevalent in aviators. Age and total flying hours are risk factors, the latter probably only for NIHL, whereas aircraft type is not.
authors.affiliation: Medical Corps, Israeli Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer Base, Tel Hashomer 52620, Israel.
authors.forename: Barak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Israeli Air Force, Surgeon General Headquarters, Israel Aeromedical Unit Base, Tel Hashomer 5262000, Israel.
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Joachims
authors.affiliation: Israeli Air Force, Surgeon General Headquarters, Israel Aeromedical Unit Base, Tel Hashomer 5262000, Israel.
authors.forename: Hila Bar
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department E of Internal Medicine, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus Petah Tikva, Israel, affiliated with Tel Aviv University, 39 Jabotinsky Street, Petah Tikva 4941492, Israel.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.affiliation: Medical Corps, Israeli Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer Base, Tel Hashomer 52620, Israel.
authors.forename: Estela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Derazne
authors.affiliation: Medical Corps, Israeli Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer Base, Tel Hashomer 52620, Israel.
authors.forename: Erez
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carmon
authors.affiliation: Israeli Air Force, Surgeon General Headquarters, Israel Aeromedical Unit Base, Tel Hashomer 5262000, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zilberberg
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Medical Center, 62 Halohamim Street, Holon 5822012, Israel.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft / Q000145:classification; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000070356:Pilots / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors