Improving the Predictive Strength of Better-Ear Four-Frequency Pure-Tone Average With the Addition of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey-Hearing Subscale.

Objectives: The objective of this project was to quantify the relative efficacy of a four-frequency pure-tone average in the better ear (PTA4), the Hearing subscale of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey (THS-H), and a combination of the two in predicting speech-in-noise performance, hearing aid recommendation, and hearing aid use among United States service members (SMs).

Design: A two-analysis retrospective study was performed. The first analysis examined the degree to which better-ear PTA4 alone, THS-H alone, and better-ear PTA4 in conjunction with THS-H predicted performance on a speech-in-noise test, the modified rhyme test.

Leptospirosis Risk Assessment in Rodent Populations and Environmental Reservoirs in Humanitarian Aid Settings in Thailand.

Leptospirosis, a global zoonotic disease caused by spp., presents high morbidity and mortality risks, especially in tropical regions like Thailand. Military personnel deployed in endemic areas, such as during the Cobra Gold Joint exercise, face heightened exposure.

Associations between Food Insecurity and Perceived Overall Health, Stress, and Counseling Utilization among a Representative Sample of the Active-Duty U.S. Military, 2020.

Background: In 2020, approximately 10% of U.S. civilian households were food insecure compared to over 25% of households with active-duty U.

Syphilis cases among pregnant women and newborns in the Military Health System, 2012-2022.

This report presents the rates of maternal syphilis among pregnant women and congenital syphilis among newborns in the Military Health System (MHS) beneficiary population from 2012 to 2022. Medical encounter data from military hospitals and clinics as well as civilian health care facilities were obtained from the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) to determine pregnancies, live births, and confirmed diagnoses of maternal and congenital syphilis. The rate of maternal syphilis in female MHS beneficiaries increased by 233% between 2012 (n=123, 66.

Cold weather injuries among the active and reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, July 2019-June 2024.

Over the 5-year surveillance period, from July 2019 through June 2024, the crude incidence rate of any cold weather injury was 31.1 per 100,000 person-years (p-yrs) for the active component and 6.4 per 100,000 persons for the reserve component of the U.

Incidence of Self-Reported Bothersome Tinnitus Versus Tinnitus Diagnosis Among U.S. Army Soldiers.

Purpose: U.S. Army Soldiers undergo annual audiometric surveillance to facilitate prevention of auditory injury.

Assessing Military Mental Health during the Pandemic: A Five Country Collaboration.

Purpose Of Review: Members of a technical panel representing Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US collaborated to develop surveys designed to provide military leaders with information to guide decisions early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of this collaboration and a review of findings from the resulting body of work.

Recent Findings: While surveys pointed to relatively favorable mental health and perceptions of leadership among military personnel early in the pandemic, these observations did not reflect the experiences of personnel deployed in COVID-19 response operations, nor were these observations reflective of later stages of the pandemic.

Effects of permethrin-treated uniforms on tick submissions to a military passive tick surveillance program.

Permethrin-treated clothing is often recommended as a first line of defense against tick-borne diseases. In 2012, the permethrin factory-treated Army Combat Uniform was first made available to active duty Soldiers, Army National Guard, Army Reserve Enlisted Soldiers, and the Senior/Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. Subsequently, Air Force and Marine Corps personnel were also offered permethrin factory-treated uniforms.

Longitudinal Changes in Dietary Supplement Use among United States Military Personnel: The US Military Dietary Supplement Use Study.

Previous studies investigating temporal changes in dietary supplement (DS) use have used representative samples but have not followed the same cohort over time. This study investigated longitudinal patterns of changes in DS use and factors associated with discontinuing DS use in a single group of active-duty United States military service members (SMs). SMs (n = 5778) completed two identical questionnaires on their DS use and demographic/lifestyle characteristics an average ± standard deviation 1.

Relative Strength and Physical Performance in US Army Male and Female Soldiers.

Grier, T, Benedict, T, Mahlmann, O, and Canham-Chervak, M. Relative Strength and Physical Performance in U.S.

Associations between Chronic Medical Conditions and Persistent Dietary Supplement Use: The US Military Dietary Supplement Use Study.

This longitudinal study examined associations between chronic medical conditions (CMCs) and persistent dietary supplement (DS) use. On two separate occasions, 1.3 ± 0.

Intelligibility of Natively and Nonnatively Produced English Speech Presented in Noise to a Large Cohort of United States Service Members.

Purpose: A corpus of English matrix sentences produced by 60 native and nonnative speakers of English was developed as part of a multinational coalition task group. This corpus was tested on a large cohort of U.S.

Threshold for increased liver weight is protective of other effects in Peromyscus exposed to PFNA.

Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) is a commercially relevant, long-chain (8 fully fluorinated carbon) perfluorinated carboxylic acid. PFNA has limited terrestrial ecotoxicity data and is detected in humans, animals, and the environment. This study is the fourth in a series with the objective of investigating the toxicity of a suite of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) detected on military installations in a mammal indigenous to North America.

U.S. Army mortality surveillance in active duty soldiers, 2014-2019.

Mortality surveillance is an important activity for capturing information on a population's health. This retrospective surveillance analysis utilizes administrative data sources to describe active duty U.S.

The Association Between Food Insecurity and Intimate Partner Violence Among U.S. Army Soldiers.

Food insecurity in the military ranges between 25% and 33%, significantly higher than the 10.5% for civilians reported by the U.S.

Rapid Assessment of Tinnitus Complaints with a Modified Version of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey.

The objective of this project was to establish cutoff scores on the tinnitus subscale of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey (THS) using a large sample of United States service members (SM) with the end goal of guiding clinical referrals for tinnitus evaluation. A total of 4,589 SM undergoing annual audiometric surveillance were prospectively recruited to complete the THS tinnitus subscale (THS-T). A subset of 1,304 participants also completed the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI).

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke among active component members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 2019-2023.

The most serious types of heat illnesses, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, are occupational hazards associated with many of the military's training and operational environments. These illnesses can typically be prevented by appropriate situational awareness, risk management strategies, along with effective countermeasures. In 2023, the crude incidence of heat stroke and heat exhaustion were 31.

Longitudinal changes in adverse effects reporting in multiple dietary supplement classifications: The US military dietary supplement use study.

Over 70% of United States military service members (SMs) regularly use dietary supplements (DSs) and about 18% have reported adverse effects (AEs) associated with use. This investigation examined longitudinal changes in AEs reporting among DS users. On two separate occasions 1.

Using emerging science to inform risk characterizations for wildlife within current regulatory frameworks.

Many jurisdictions have regulatory frameworks that seek to reduce the effects of environmental exposures of anthropogenic chemicals on terrestrial wildlife (i.e., mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians).

Earliest records of the Asian longhorned tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in Staten Island, New York, and subsequent population establishment, with a review of its potential medical and veterinary importance in the United States.

Three Asian longhorned ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis) were collected on Staten Island, Richmond County, New York, in 2014-2015 as part of a tick-borne disease surveillance program conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Defense Centers of Public Health - Aberdeen Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory. These records mark the earliest known occurrence of H. longicornis in New York State outside of quarantine areas, predating previously reported detections by several years.

Integrating emerging science to improve estimates of risk to wildlife from chemical exposure: What are the challenges?

Many jurisdictions require ecological risk assessments for terrestrial wildlife (i.e., terrestrial vertebrates) to assess potential adverse effects from exposure to anthropogenic chemicals.

Injuries and Factors Associated with Injuries Among U.S. Army Band Musicians.

Unlabelled: The Department of Defense is the largest employer of full-time musicians. In the U.S.