Department of Community Medicine, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Sri Devaraj Academy of Higher Education and Research, Kolar, India.
Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2012 Jan;12(1):116-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2011.00720.x. Epub 2011 Jun 27.
Of India's population, 76.6 million (7.2%) are aged above 60 years. Increasing age is associated with increasing disability and functional impairments such as low vision, loss of mobility and hearing impairment. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to study the prevalence of hearing and visual impairment among a rural elderly population in South India and its association with selected variables.
This was a cross-sectional study of elderly persons in two villages of Bangalore District, Karnataka, South India. Elderly persons identified were administered a questionnaire for assessment of demographic details, health and function related information. Visual acuity was checked using Snellen's E chart for distant vision. Hearing was assessed using pure tone audiometry.
Two hundred and fifty-seven (12.2%) of the population were elderly in these two villages. Seventy-two (32.4%) of the elderly persons were facing problems completely or partially in at least one of the activities and 10 (4.5%) elderly persons had cognitive impairment. Sixty-two (35.4%) of the elderly had low vision and 22 (12.6%) were blind. On assessment with pure tone audiometry, 117 (66.9%) of the elderly persons had some degree of hearing impairment. Forty-three (24.6%) of the elderly had disabling hearing impairment. Forty-seven (26.9%) of the elderly had combined low vision associated with hearing impairment and 18 (10.2%) had combined blindness along with hearing impairment. As age advanced there was a significant increase in visual, hearing and combined impairments.
Visual and hearing impairment are important health problems among elderly persons in rural areas of South India.
印度有 7660 万人（7.2%）年龄在 60 岁以上。随着年龄的增长，残疾和功能障碍的发生率也会增加，如低视力、行动不便和听力障碍。因此，本文旨在研究印度南部农村老年人群体中听力和视力障碍的患病率及其与某些变量的关系。
这是印度卡纳塔克邦班加罗尔区两个村庄的老年人群的横断面研究。对确定的老年人进行问卷调查，以评估人口统计学细节、健康和功能相关信息。使用 Snellen E 图表检查远视力的视力，使用纯音测听法检查听力。
这两个村庄共有 257 名（12.2%）人口为老年人。72 名（32.4%）老年人在至少一项活动中完全或部分存在问题，10 名（4.5%）老年人有认知障碍。62 名（35.4%）老年人有低视力，22 名（12.6%）是盲人。通过纯音测听评估，117 名（66.9%）老年人有一定程度的听力障碍。43 名（24.6%）老年人有失能性听力障碍。47 名（26.9%）老年人同时存在低视力和听力障碍，18 名（10.2%）同时存在失明和听力障碍。随着年龄的增长，视力、听力和综合障碍的发生率显著增加。
视力和听力障碍是印度南部农村地区老年人的重要健康问题。
