BACKGROUND: hearing is responsible for acquisition and development of oral language, this sense allows for interpersonal and environmental relationship. Epidemiological investigations on hearing impairment in a community are very important in order to adequate the public health measures at different prevention levels. PURPOSE: to check, in the scientific literature, studies that aimed at the pursuit of hearing loss epidemiology knowledge in Brazil. Thirteen articles were used in this study and 11 were a cross-sectional studies, one a case-control study and another a cohort study. CONCLUSION: Workers exposed to occupational noise have received more attention from epidemiological studies than the elderly and neonate population. Just one population-based study was carried out following the protocol suggested by WHO. It is therefore important to carry out further studies related to hearing loss in the country in order to develop health care and assistance actions that are appropriate to the local needs.
Audiology; Epidemiology; Hearing Loss; Brazil
