Self-reported hearing loss and visual impairment in adults from Central Mexico

Objective. To determinate the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) and visual impairment (VI) among adult population from Tlaxcala, Mexico. Materials and methods. A population-based cross-sectional study comprising persons 50 years and older was conducted in 2013. Self-reported HL was measured using the Hearing Impairment Inventory for the Elderly (SHIIE) questionnaire; VI was determined using the Snellen tumbling E chart. Results. 900 women and 611 men (mean age 66.1 years) were included. 481(31.8%) individuals had HL (415 alone and 66 combined with VI). Prevalence of HL alone and together with VI was associated with age (per two years, OR=1.03 and OR=1.18, respectively) and self-reported poor health status (OR=1.90 and OR=3.69, respectively). Conclusion. The high prevalence of these disabilities calls for the implementation of public health interventions that help to reduce its impact in the population.