A Situation Analysis of Parental Awareness Regarding Childhood Hearing Loss to Inform Health Communication Strategy

Introduction Early detection through universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and timely intervention can improve speech, language, and cognitive outcomes. However, limited awareness among caregivers remains a major barrier to early identification and management. This study performed a situation analysis of parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) to identify strategic barriers and inform a targeted health communication strategy. Methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India from November 2023 to October 2024. A total of 494 participants were recruited. Data were collected through a pre-validated, semi-structured questionnaire administered via face-to-face interviews in Hindi. The tool collected data on knowledge of risk factors and early diagnosis, attitudes toward screening and treatment, and practices related to prevention and care-seeking. Following data collection, a situation analysis and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) matrix were developed using the Johns Hopkins "P-Process" framework to synthesize raw findings into a strategic roadmap. Results The situation analysis revealed a "service-utilization paradox": while 420 (85.0%) of participants supported newborn hearing screening, a profound "follow-up apathy" existed, with 454 (91.9%) incorrectly perceiving subsequent testing as unnecessary. Knowledge of "visible" risks like ear discharge (459, 92.9%) and measles (405, 82.0%) was high, but awareness of "invisible" prenatal and perinatal risks, such as NICU stays and maternal infections, remained poor. The SWOT analysis identified high graduate-level literacy and vaccination compliance (396, 80.2%) as core strengths and opportunities. However, these were countered by a lack of awareness of government facilities (30, 6.1%) and an external threat of outcome pessimism, where fewer than half of the participants believed normal speech development was possible for affected children. Conclusions The study underscores a strategic opportunity to leverage high vaccination compliance by integrating hearing health education into immunization clinics. Targeted communication strategies must focus on addressing follow-up apathy and outcome misconceptions to bridge the gap between initial screening and long-term rehabilitation.