Associação entre medidas antropométricas e deficiência auditiva:dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2013

Abstract

Introduction:The association between hearing impairment and nutritional aspects has received greater attention in research since nutritional factors can cause or potentiate several diseases. Methods to evaluate this variable can be used, enabling the investigation of nutritional health and the adoption of healthy behaviors and diet. Research suggests that higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are associated with higher hearing thresholds. Objective: to assess the association between anthropometric measurements and hearing loss, based on data from the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS). Methods: This is a cross-sectional, analytical study using data from individual interviews with 39,561 individuals from the 2013 PNS. The prevalence of self-reported hearing loss was obtained through the question: "Do you have hearing loss?". BMI and WC were considered exposure variables. The covariates used were: sex, region of Brazil, education level, age group, skin color or race, noise exposure, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, tobacco use, alcohol use, and practice of physical activity. In the multivariate analysis, a hierarchical model was adopted, based on a conceptual theoretical model of factors associated with hearing loss with distal, intermediate, and proximal levels. Univariate and multivariate Logistic Regression models were applied for complex samples. The measure of effect used was the Odds Ratio together with the 95% confidence interval. The significance level adopted was 5%. Results: Prevalence of hearing loss was 2.9%, higher in the age group 75 years or older (15.3%), in males (3.4%), in residents of the South region of Brazil (3.3%), in self-declared white individuals (3.2%), in those with incomplete primary education (7.4%), in overweight (3.2%) and obese (2.9%) individuals, and in individuals at very high risk of developing cardiovascular problems (3.4%). Hearing loss was significantly associated with noise exposure (OR = 1.50 -95%CI: 1.06-2.12), overweight (OR = 1.50 -95%CI: 1.10-2.04), and WC categorized as very high cardiovascular risk (OR = 1.49 -95%CI: 1.14-1.95). In the adjusted analyses, in model 1, hearing loss was significantly associated with overweight (OR=1.57 -95%CI: 1.07-2.30) and obese individuals (OR=1.57 -95%CI: 1.01-2.44). In model 3, the "overweight" category was significantly associated with hearing loss (OR=2.30 -95%CI: 1.25-4.24). Conclusion: Individuals with diabetes, hypertension, and high 13 cholesterol, as well as those exposed to noise, had a higher prevalence of hearing loss. The association between hearing loss and BMI in multivariate analyses was observed in "obese" in model 1 and "overweight" individuals in models 1 and 3.