The Impact of Tinnitus Severity on Work Functioning among U.S. Military Veterans with Tinnitus

Laura Coco; Elizabeth R. Hooker; Tess A. Gilbert; Graham R. Harker; Khaya D. Clark; Kelly M. Reavis; James A. Henry; Tara L. Zaugg; Kathleen F. Carlson

doi:10.1055/s-0043-1770152

Seminars in Hearing, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Semin Hear 2024; 45(01): 040-054
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1770152

Review Article

The Impact of Tinnitus Severity on Work Functioning among U.S. Military Veterans with Tinnitus

Laura Coco

¹VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

²VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

³Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

⁴School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, California

,

Elizabeth R. Hooker

¹VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

,

Tess A. Gilbert

¹VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

,

Graham R. Harker

¹VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

⁵School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

,

Khaya D. Clark

²VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

,

Kelly M. Reavis

²VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

⁵School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

,

James A. Henry

²VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

³Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

,

Tara L. Zaugg

²VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

,

Kathleen F. Carlson

¹VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation, Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

²VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon

⁵School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Tinnitus is highly prevalent among military Veterans. Severe tinnitus can be associated with negative impacts on daily life. Veterans with severe tinnitus may also have greater difficulties in functional roles, including work. However, few studies have explicitly explored this relationship. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also prevalent among Veterans, is associated with tinnitus and can additionally impair work functioning. This quantitative investigation used a population-based survey to assess the relationship between tinnitus severity, measured using the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), and the impact of tinnitus on work, measured using a composite score from the Tinnitus History Questionnaire, among a stratified random sample of VA healthcare-using Veterans diagnosed with tinnitus, with and without comorbid TBI. Analyses were weighted to account for sampling design and Veteran non-response; multiple imputation was used to account for missing data. Results indicated that for every 1-point increase in TFI score, there was an average 8% increase in the odds of reporting a high level of impact on work functioning (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.11). Veterans with a comorbid TBI diagnosis, compared with those without, were more likely to have high tinnitus-related impact on work functioning (OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.85, 3.91), but the relationship between tinnitus severity and the impact of tinnitus on work functioning did not differ by TBI status. These data can help researchers and clinicians understand complex symptoms experienced by Veterans with tinnitus, with and without TBI, supporting the improved provision of clinical services to these patients.

Keywords

disability - tinnitus - traumatic brain injury - Veterans - work functioning

Full Text

References

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