title: [Hearing disorders in elderly people, associated factors and quality of life: SABE Study, Bogotá, Colombia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aging of the population is a universal epidemiological phenomenon which is not unfamiliar to us and is accompanied by a marked increase of life expectancy. Age-dependent comorbidities, such as hearing disorders, are more prevalent and affect the quality of life in a noticeable manner.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of hearing disorders, of the associated factors and their impact on the quality of life of older adults in Bogota.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was taken from the Bogotá SABE Study, which included 2,000 individuals aged =60 years in a probabilistic cross-sectional study sampled by clusters (with 81.9% coverage). We used the "hearing disorders" variable relating it to socio-demographic variables, as well as to the use of hearing aids, the self-perceived health, the comorbidities, the functionality, the cognition and the quality of life as measured with the Visual Analog Scale of the EuroQol Group (EQ-VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a prevalence of hearing disorders in 267 individuals (13.5%), of whom 15% used hearing aids. The frequency was higher in individuals aged =75 years (46.1%), in the low socioeconomic level (20.2%) and among illiterate people (19.3%, p<0.05). Regarding comorbidities, we found a higher prevalence in individuals suffering from depression (20.2%, p<0.001), and high blood pressure (15%, p<0.01). The quality of life was worse in individuals with hearing disorders, as measured with the EuroQol EQ-VAS (60.93 ± 1.38 vs. 71.75 ± 0.45, p< 0.0001), but it improved among those who used hearing aids as compared to those who did not use them (59.59 ± 1.52, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hearing disorders are relevant in elderly individuals and they affect their perceived quality of life in a noticeable manner. In addition, they are associated with other clinical, functional and cognitive problems. Nevertheless, the intervention with hearing aids reverses that perception.
authors.affiliation: Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Envejecimiento, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Miguel Germán
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Borda
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Envejecimiento, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Antonio J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Arciniegas
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Envejecimiento, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan Sebastián
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Parra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires