OBJECTIVES: Although several studies have investigated the effects of diabetes on hearing loss, the relationship between these two conditions remains unclear. Some studies have suggested that diabetes may cause sensorineural hearing loss, whereas others have failed to find an association. The biggest challenge in investigating the association between diabetes and hearing loss is the presence of confounding variables and the complexity of the auditory system. Our study investigated the association between diabetes and sensorineural hearing loss. We evaluated the influence of time from diabetes diagnosis on this association after controlling for age, gender, and hypertension diagnosis and excluding those subjects with exposure to noise. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 901 adult and elderly Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) participants from São Paulo, Brazil who underwent audiometry testing as part of ELSA-Brasil’s baseline assessment. RESULTS: Hearing thresholds and speech test results were significantly worse in the group with diabetes than in the group without diabetes. However, no significant differences were found between participants with and without diabetes after adjusting for age, gender, and the presence of hypertension. Hearing thresholds were not affected by occupational noise exposure in the groups with and without diabetes. In addition, no association between the duration of diabetes and hearing thresholds was observed after adjusting for age, gender, and hypertension. CONCLUSION: We found no association between the duration of diabetes and worse hearing thresholds after models were adjusted for age, gender, and the presence of hypertension.

Realizaram-se entrevistas e análises laboratoriais de 80 amostras de água em 45 propriedades rurais das sub-bacias dos ribeirões Água Limpa e Santa Cruz, em Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil, para comparar a qualidade da água para consumo doméstico e agropecuário e seus fatores determinantes. Na sub-bacia Água Limpa, as propriedades são principalmente caracterizadas como moradia, e seus proprietários apresentam baixo grau de escolaridade. Quanto à sub-bacia Santa Cruz, nas propriedades, explora-se a agropecuária, e a maior parte dos proprietários reside na cidade. Com relação aos graus de escolaridade, ela se apresenta muito baixa ou com nível superior. O abastecimento d'água na sub-bacia Água Limpa provém principalmente de lençóis freáticos, enquanto, na sub-bacia Santa Cruz, predominam as águas superficiais, estando seus mananciais contaminados. A percepção dos proprietários sobre a potabilidade da água relaciona-se às características físicas e organolépticas, não à sanitária. Não há relação entre a contaminação fecal e o tipo de manancial, mas sim com a ocupação do solo e as atividades antrópicas.

In addition to personal interviews, laboratory analyses were performed using 80 water samples from 45 rural areas that are crossed by the Água Limpa and Santa Cruz streams close to the city of Lavras, southern Minas Gerais State. The results allowed comparing the quality of water used for agriculture and the identification of determinant factors. The Água Limpa stream mostly crosses an area used primarily for housing and characterized by low schooling. Many houses are supplied by shallow water wells and have ordinary cesspits for human waste disposal. All springs are polluted. The Santa Cruz stream displays a different scenario. The land is used mostly for agricultural purposes. Most owners live in town, with widely varied levels of school, from none to university. The houses are supplied by surface water. Most of the springs are polluted. The perception by both home and land owners concerning quality of the drinking water is determined solely by the water's physical and organoleptic characteristics. Sanitary parameters are not taken into account. Moreover, there is no relationship between fecal contamination and the type of spring. Land use and anthropic activity are far more important than the type of spring for water quality.

Realizaram-se entrevistas e análises laboratoriais de 80 amostras de água em 45 propriedades rurais das sub-bacias dos ribeirões Água Limpa e Santa Cruz, em Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil, para comparar a qualidade da água para consumo doméstico e agropecuário e seus fatores determinantes. Na sub-bacia Água Limpa, as propriedades são principalmente caracterizadas como moradia, e seus proprietários apresentam baixo grau de escolaridade. Quanto à sub-bacia Santa Cruz, nas propriedades, explora-se a agropecuária, e a maior parte dos proprietários reside na cidade. Com relação aos graus de escolaridade, ela se apresenta muito baixa ou com nível superior. O abastecimento d'água na sub-bacia Água Limpa provém principalmente de lençóis freáticos, enquanto, na sub-bacia Santa Cruz, predominam as águas superficiais, estando seus mananciais contaminados. A percepção dos proprietários sobre a potabilidade da água relaciona-se às características físicas e organolépticas, não à sanitária. Não há relação entre a contaminação fecal e o tipo de manancial, mas sim com a ocupação do solo e as atividades antrópicas.

In addition to personal interviews, laboratory analyses were performed using 80 water samples from 45 rural areas that are crossed by the Água Limpa and Santa Cruz streams close to the city of Lavras, southern Minas Gerais State. The results allowed comparing the quality of water used for agriculture and the identification of determinant factors. The Água Limpa stream mostly crosses an area used primarily for housing and characterized by low schooling. Many houses are supplied by shallow water wells and have ordinary cesspits for human waste disposal. All springs are polluted. The Santa Cruz stream displays a different scenario. The land is used mostly for agricultural purposes. Most owners live in town, with widely varied levels of school, from none to university. The houses are supplied by surface water. Most of the springs are polluted. The perception by both home and land owners concerning quality of the drinking water is determined solely by the water's physical and organoleptic characteristics. Sanitary parameters are not taken into account. Moreover, there is no relationship between fecal contamination and the type of spring. Land use and anthropic activity are far more important than the type of spring for water quality.