TY - JOUR
T1 - An observed relationship between vestibular function and auditory thresholds in aircraft-maintenance workers
AU - Guest, Maya
AU - Boggess, May
AU - D'Este, Catherine
AU - Attia, John
AU - Brown, Anthony
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was commissioned and funded by the Australian Department of Defence. The study was managed by the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs and overseen by Scientific Advisory Committee.
PY - 2011/2
Y1 - 2011/2
N2 - OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the vestibular function and whether an association exists between vestibular function and hearing thresholds in a group of military aircraft-maintenance workers with exposures to high levels of noise and organic solvents, relative to two different comparison groups. METHODS: Vestibular function (using functional reach) and hearing (with pure-tone audiometry) were assessed in 601 exposed personnel, compared with two unexposed groups (500 technical trade and 391 nontrade). RESULTS: Linear regression model showed that functional reach was slightly better for the comparison groups than the exposed group, with only one group being statistically significant, and there was a significant association between vestibular function and auditory thresholds at 500 and 1000 Hz. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated a relationship between low-frequency hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction, anxiety, and depression in an occupational population.
AB - OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the vestibular function and whether an association exists between vestibular function and hearing thresholds in a group of military aircraft-maintenance workers with exposures to high levels of noise and organic solvents, relative to two different comparison groups. METHODS: Vestibular function (using functional reach) and hearing (with pure-tone audiometry) were assessed in 601 exposed personnel, compared with two unexposed groups (500 technical trade and 391 nontrade). RESULTS: Linear regression model showed that functional reach was slightly better for the comparison groups than the exposed group, with only one group being statistically significant, and there was a significant association between vestibular function and auditory thresholds at 500 and 1000 Hz. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated a relationship between low-frequency hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction, anxiety, and depression in an occupational population.
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U2 - 10.1097/JOM.0b013e318204fa7f
DO - 10.1097/JOM.0b013e318204fa7f
M3 - Article
C2 - 21270662
AN - SCOPUS:79952195382
SN - 1076-2752
VL - 53
SP - 146
EP - 152
JO - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JF - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
IS - 2
ER -