Elders in a former brazilian leprosy colony: clinical and functional vulnerability and vocal and hearing self-perception.

Purpose: Verifying the association between clinical-functional vulnerability and vocal and auditory self-perception in seniors presenting a history of leprosy.
Methods: Cross-sectional study encompassing 117 elderly people from an old leprosy colony in southeastern Brazil. The research analyzed sociodemographic information and the following protocols: Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index-20 (IVCF-20), Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening Version (HHIE-S), Screening for Vocal Change in the Elderly (RAVI) and Vocal Handicap Index 10 (IDV-10). For data analysis, the ordinal logistic regression model of proportional odds was used.
Results: 37.6% of the elderly were classified as robust, 35.0% at risk of fragility and 27.4% as frail. Vocal alteration (RAVI), vocal handicap (IDV-10) and restriction to auditory participation (HHIE-S) were observed in 65.8%, 24.8% and 48.7% respectively, in the studied population. In the multivariate analysis, it was found the oldest group (OR = 1.11; CI: 1.05-1.16) and those with vocal handicap (OR = 4.11; 95% CI: 1.77-9.56) were more likely to be classified as at risk of fragility or already fragile. The simultaneous presence of vocal handicap and restriction of auditory participation (46.9%) was larger among frail elderly people.
Conclusion: The increasing age of the elderly and the presence of vocal handicap is associated with greater clinical-functional vulnerability. The high prevalence of both voice and hearing disorders reinforces the need for the speech therapist to be included in public policies, directed towards caring for people with a history of leprosy.