ABSTRACT
Introduction
Portable equipment can now perform screenings that identify possible hearing loss, allowing a greater number of people to be evaluated. Self-assessment questionnaires may also provide an overview of the elderly’s perception of their problem.
Purpose
To examine if the hearing-screening results in the elderly are related to their perceived restriction in social participation, and whether they are influenced by age, gender and schooling.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was carried out with elderly people of two cohabitation centers. Medical history and participant details were collected, including name, age, and schooling data. Visual inspection of the external auditory meatus and hearing screening using portable equipment were then performed. The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly – Screening Version (HHIE-S) questionnaire was then administered in the form of an interview. The HHIE-S consists of ten questions divided into two scales—social and emotional - each composed of five questions. The data were then statistically analyzed.
Results
Sixty-four elderly people, comprising men and women, with a mean age of 70 years and 8 months, were evaluated. Of these, 48 (75%) were classified as without perceived restriction, 12 (18.75%) with mild to moderate perceived restriction, and four (6.25%) with significant perceived restriction, according to the questionnaire criteria. The screening and questionnaire results were not influenced by gender and schooling. Age did not influence the questionnaire score, but was associated with the hearing-screening outcome. There was a relationship between hearing screening and scores on the questionnaire.
Conclusion
Elderly patients who “failed” the hearing screening had higher scores in the questionnaire and older adults had worse hearing-screening results.
Hearing; Self-assessment; Aging; Aged; Mass screening
