PURPOSE: to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss (HL), identifying the factors associated with elderly patients in the city of Londrina - PR. METHODS: cross-sectional study in a population sample with 61 individuals aged over 60 years in Londrina-Pr, 2009, through anamnesis and audiological evaluation. We used the chi-square of relative risk with 95% confidence and p-value <0.05 for univariate analysis between HL and associated factors. RESULTS: the whole sample 87.70% had some type of hearing loss or lowering of frequencies. Out of these individuals with HL, the type of HL with greater prevalence in this age group was sensorineural HL, with 63.93% of occurrence. Out of the sample of hypertensive patients, 88.88% had HL, which is an increase of 8 chances to make the hypertensive population to have HL. From the sample of diabetics, 90% had HL, an increase of 9 chances to cause the diabetic population to show HL. Consumers of alcohol, 92.30% had HL. Thus, consumers of alcohol had 12 more chances to get HL. However, from the sample of smokers, former smokers or passive smokers with daily contact with smokers, from these individuals, 87.09% had HL, thus, an increase of 9 chances to have HL. CONCLUSION: the study showed that people over 60 years shows mainly sensory neural HL, and it is a progressive loss and its proportion increased with aging. Risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, alcohol consumption and smoking are factors that can predispose to HL, especially when associated with presbycusis.
Hearing Loss; Risk Factors; Cross-Sectional Studies
