Prevalence of Presbycusis in Casablanca

Presbyacusis or age-related hearing loss (ARHL)is characterized by high-frequency-dominated hearing loss, reduced speech understanding and impaired localization of sound source.

Presbycusis is correlated with decreased quality of life, retirement leading to depression. Furthermore, the association between hearing loss and cognitive function is widely accepted, it increases the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.

In several countries, mass screening has been adopted to deal with early presbycusis and prevent its consequences, unlike in Morocco where presbycusis is still under-diagnosed. However, no prevalence study has been conducted so far in Morocco to assess the extent of this condition.

The aim of our study is to assess the prevalence of presbycusis during the year 2017 in Casablanca and to identify the influence of general factors on the prevalence of presbycusis.

We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study among people over 60 in 2017 at the level of 8 CDS randomly selected in Casablanca. A questionnaire was completed and the audiogram was conducted at 411 people who came to see health centers.

The data from the study allowed us to highlight the relationship between presbycusis and other neurosensory deficits. Apart from age, no link could be established between presbycusis and demographic factors or health status. After the multivariate analysis, it was found that taking medication reduced the risk of developing presbycusis (p˂0.001, OR = 0.197 IC95 [0.093-0.415]), but could not determine exactly which drug was responsible for it.