ABSTRACT
Introduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 360 million people in the world suffer from disabling hearing loss.
Purpose
Investigate the association between disabling hearing loss and clinical, sociodemographic, communicative, behavioral and health services characteristics in a population with hearing loss treated in a public healthcare center.
Methods
This cross-sectional study utilized secondary data from the assessment protocol for authorizing the provision of personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) used in an auditory health service. The sample consisted of 745 patients from May 2009 to May 2013. As a variable response to incapacitating hearing loss and as explanatory variables: healthcare, communicative and behavioral aspects, sociodemographic and clinical data. Descriptive analyzes, univariate logistic regression and hierarchical logistic model were performed.
Results
Hierarchical logistic model detected five explanatory variables from distinct blocks which maintained a statistically significant association with disabling hearing loss: etiology of acquired hearing loss, elementary education, previous use of PSAPs, present hearing responses without the use of PSAPs, are accompanied at the time of the evaluation.
Conclusion
In the study population, individuals with congenital hearing loss, elementary school education, who previously used hearing aids, absence of hearing reactions without hearing loss, or who had an accompanying person at the time of the evaluation were more likely to present disabling hearing loss when compared to individuals without these characteristics.
Hearing loss; Disabled persons; Unified Health System; Hearing; Hearing aids