Prevalence of hearing loss in school aged Nepalese children
Milan Maharjan1, Samjhana Phuyal1, Mana Shrestha1
1Ear Care Nepal, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur-4, Nepal.
Insights
Hearing loss affects 5.73% of school-aged children in Nepal, with conductive hearing loss being most common. Early screening and management of conditions like chronic otitis media are crucial for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Audiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Hearing loss is a significant global health issue, particularly impacting children's development.
- Early identification and intervention are critical to mitigate the long-term effects of hearing impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of hearing loss among school-aged children in Nepal.
- To identify the types and potential causes of hearing loss in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 79,340 school-aged children (grades 1-10) in Nepal.
- Classroom-based screening using otoscopy followed by pure tone audiometry for hearing evaluation.
- Data collected on ear diseases and hearing thresholds at 0.5-4 kHz.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of hearing impairment was 5.73% (4551 children).
- Conductive hearing loss was the predominant type, accounting for 70.47% of cases.
- Chronic otitis media identified as a major preventable cause.
Conclusions:
- Hearing loss is a common issue among Nepalese school children, often stemming from preventable causes.
- Implementing school-based ear health programs and early screening can significantly reduce the incidence and impact of hearing loss.
- Timely management of conditions like chronic otitis media is essential for educational, social, and language development.
Objectives:
The main objective of this study is to identify the prevalence of hearing loss in school aged children of Nepal.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was carried out on school aged children attending the government run schools of Nepal. A total of 79,340 children from grades 1 through 10 were included in the study. After taking brief history about ear diseases and hearing loss, children were screened for ear diseases in their respective classroom by otoscope. Hearing evaluation was carried out by pure tone audiometer and hearing threshold was obtained at 0.5-4 kHz. The results were then documented and analyzed.
Results:
The prevalence of hearing impairment in school aged children in Nepal is found to be 5.73% (4551 of 79,340). Conductive hearing loss was the most common type of hearing loss and was observed in 70.47% (n = 3207) of the children.
Conclusions:
This study shows that hearing loss is a common problem in children of Nepal. With the main cause of hearing loss due to preventable conditions such as chronic otitis media, it is believed that early standardized screening, detection and timely management of chronic otitis media in these children can prevent hearing loss and its impact on their educational, social and language development. School based ear health programs are a useful community-oriented solution for prevention of deafness. It shows how important it is to introduce hearing screening for primary school aged children to prevent hearing loss.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
00:53Sound Intensity Level
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and...