Self-reported hearing loss and cognitive impairment: a cross-sectional analysis of the EpiFloripa Aging study

This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported hearing loss and cognitive impairment in older adults in a city in Southern Brazil. In this cross-sectional, population-based cohort study of older adults, data were collected in the third wave of the EpiFloripa Aging study (2017/2019), which had been performed since 2009 in the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State. Cognitive impairment was the dependent variable analyzed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and self-reported hearing loss, which was included in the cohort only in the last wave, was the main exposure variable. Logistic regression analyses were conducted, considering the study design and sample weights. Data from 1,335 older adults were evaluated. The prevalence was 20.5% for cognitive impairment and 10.7% for hearing loss. Older adults with hearing loss were 2.66 (95%CI: 1.08-6.54) times more likely to have cognitive impairment than older adults without hearing loss. The association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment highlights the need to integrate the early identification of these problems into primary care, as both are risk factors for healthy aging and potentially preventable and/or treatable conditions.

本研究旨在探究巴西南部某城市老年群体自我报告听力损失与认知障碍的关联。本次基于人群的老年横断面队列研究数据，采集自EpiFloripa衰老研究（EpiFloripa Aging Study）2017/2019年的第三次随访队列，该研究自2009年起在圣卡塔琳娜州弗洛里亚诺波利斯市开展。认知障碍为本次研究的因变量，通过简易精神状态检查表（Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE）进行评估；自我报告听力损失仅在本次最后一次随访中纳入队列，作为主要暴露变量。研究结合研究设计与样本权重，开展了逻辑回归分析。最终纳入1335名老年人群的数据进行分析。本研究中认知障碍患病率为20.5%，听力损失患病率为10.7%。存在听力损失的老年人群发生认知障碍的风险较无听力损失者高2.66倍（95%置信区间：1.08-6.54）。听力损失与认知障碍的关联提示，需将这两类问题的早期筛查整合至初级保健体系中：二者均为健康老龄化的危险因素，且属于潜在可预防、可干预的病症。