Perfil dos usuários de um centro especializado em reabilitação auditiva da região noroeste do RS

Abstract

Purpose: to characterize the social-demographic and audiological profile of users of a center in auditory rehabilitation from RS, Brazil, northeastern region. Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective, quantitative, cross-sectional study, which was performed with information from users' medical records. The studied population consists of all assisted users from March to July, 2015. As exclusion criteria, it was considered the incomplete records. The sample consisted of 145 users. Results: The analyzed items were degree of hearing loss, probable etiologic diagnosis, age, sex, race, education, occupation, origin and associated diseases. For the analysis, it was used descriptive statistics, and the results were presented through simple and cross frequency tables. Most sobjects are male users, with average age of 65.51 years, white race, with complete elementary education. 38.6% of the subjects work with agriculture and livestock and most of them refer they present hypertension as associated disease. About audiological profile, there is prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss, mild and moderate level, with probable etiologic diagnosis of presbycusis. Conclusion: The profiles outlining may constitute a health service management instrument. Thus, this results indicate the importance of implementing programs of auditory health promotion and prevention, based on health integral care. It refers, so, the necessity of reorganizing the auditory rehabilitation approach types performed at the center, which was the place of study.