The Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Selected Navy Enlisted Personnel.
Abstract
No reliable body of data exists on the prevalence of hearing loss among naval enlisted personnel. Such data are vitally needed, not only to determine the extent to which hearing loss exists in such specialties, but also to further document the urgent need for implementation of hearing conservation programs throughout the Navy. Hearing threshold level data have been obtained on 3010 subjects for 16 Navy enlisted rates, 400 subjects from four apprentice groups and 120 recruits. The problem of hearing loss is more widespread than was anticipated. In many instances the hearing threshold levels of individuals in control group (least noise exposed) ratings and apprenticeships (HN, DN, HM, DT, MS, YN, PN, DK, TD, and AZ) approached hearing threshold levels of individuals in experimental group (most noise exposed) ratings and apprenticeships (AN, FN, EO, MM, EN, BT, AM, AD, AB, and AO). Overall 12.5 percent of subjects in the control group and 25 percent of subjects in the experimental group demonstrated significant high frequency hearing loss. These percentages, when projected to the total population within the ratings studied, produce an estimate of approximately 32,000 personnel as having a significant high frequency hearing loss. Considering that this investigation examined only 20 percent of the approximately 80 ratings in the Navy, it is clear that the total number of naval personnel exhibiting hearing loss is indeed formidable. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 28, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA062832
Entities
People
- Carl E. Williams
- John C. Page
- Ronald M. Robertson
Organizations
- Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory