Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
3rd International Congress of Multidisciplinary Medical and Health Sciences Studies , Ankara, Türkiye, 27 - 28 Mayıs 2025, ss.72, (Özet Bildiri)
Self-reported hearing impairment and depression are increasingly recognized as prevalent and debilitating conditions among adults worldwide. However, data on the co-occurrence of these conditions in adults aged 50 years and above in Türkiye remain unclear. We conducted a communitybased study to estimate the prevalence of self-reported hearing impairment and depressive symptoms and to explore their association. A total of 29,787 participants were recruited from the representative sampling frame of the Türkiye Elderly Profile Research micro datasets (Turkish Statistical Institute), yielding a weighted sample of 20,174,792 individuals after excluding records with missing data. Hearing impairment was assessed via a standardized questionnaire item and dichotomized as “no or slight difficulty” versus “moderate to severe difficulty,” while depressive symptoms were measured using the validated Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Multivariable logistic regression models quantified the association between hearing impairment and depression, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, and health‐related variables. Overall, the weighted prevalence of selfreported hearing impairment was 4.1%, while 9.6% of participants exhibited severe depressive symptoms. In fully adjusted models, participants reporting hearing impairment had significantly increased odds of mild depressive symptoms (aOR 2.07; 95% CI : 2.06–2.08) and severe depressive symptoms (aOR 2.37; 95% CI: 2.35–2.38) compared with those without hearing impairment. Older age is independently associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of integrated screening and intervention strategies that address both auditory and mental health in the aging population of Türkiye. Future longitudinal studies warrant elucidation of causal pathways.