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Updated: Oct 8, 2026
Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
[Screening for hearing disorders in school children of Medellin, Colombia, 1993]
M A Rodríguez1, M Melguizo-Yepez
1Empresa Social del Estado (METROSALUD), Medellín, Colombia.
Insights
Screening schoolchildren for hearing disorders can be effectively done using a combination of risk factor questionnaires and impedance audiometry. This approach offers a cost-effective method with adequate predictive value for early detection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- School health programs
- Hearing disorder screening
Background:
- Hearing disorders affect a significant portion of the school-aged population.
- Early detection of hearing impairments is crucial for academic and social development.
- Existing screening methods vary in cost-effectiveness and diagnostic accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of different methods for detecting hearing disorders in schoolchildren.
- To identify the most cost-effective and accurate screening strategy for school health programs.
- To establish a recommended screening protocol for pediatric hearing impairments.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of sweep testing, impedance audiometry, risk factor questionnaires, and pure tone audiometry.
- Impedance audiometry was utilized as the gold standard for diagnostic accuracy.
- Evaluation of screening methods based on cost and predictive value.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of hearing disorders in children aged five to 14 years was found to be 20%.
- Combined screening using risk factor questionnaires and impedance audiometry demonstrated adequate predictive values.
- This combined approach was deemed cost-effective for school health programs.
Conclusions:
- A combined screening approach of risk factor questionnaires and impedance audiometry is recommended for schoolchildren.
- This integrated method provides a reasonable cost and adequate predictive value for identifying hearing disorders.
- The findings support the adoption of this combined strategy in school health programs.
Abstract:
For detecting the group of children that have hearing disorders in a school health program, sweep testing, impedance audiometry, questionnaire of risk factors and pure tone audiometry were compared. Impedance audiometry was defined as the gold standard for the study. The authors suggest that combined questionnaire of risk factors and impedance audiometry screening should become the accepted way to screen schoolchildren in function of reasonable cost for the program and adequate predictive values of the first test. The prevalence of hearing disorders for children between five to 14 years was 20 per cent.
