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Paediatric hearing loss in rural Pakistan
1Department of Otolaryngology, McGill University Teaching Hospitals, Montreal, Quebec.
Insights
Hearing impairment affects 7.9% of rural Pakistani children, with conductive hearing loss being common and treatable. Consanguinity is a significant risk factor for severe hearing loss in this population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Pediatric Audiology
Background:
- Hearing loss is a significant global health issue, particularly in developing countries.
- Limited population-based data exists on hearing impairment in rural Pakistani children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and causes of hearing loss in rural Pakistani children.
- To identify risk factors associated with hearing impairment in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Community screening of 607 school-aged children (5-15 years) in Sialkot District, Pakistan.
- Utilized World Health Organization (WHO) protocols for hearing impairment assessment.
- Conducted case-control analysis of audiometric data, physical examinations, and risk factors, with chi-square analyses.
Main Results:
- Overall point prevalence of hearing impairment was 7.9%.
- Fifty percent of hearing loss was conductive, often treatable with medical or surgical intervention.
- Key risk factors for conductive hearing loss included otorrhea and recurrent ear infections; consanguinity was linked to 70% of severe cases.
Conclusions:
- This study provides crucial population-based data on hearing loss in rural Pakistan.
- Highlights the need for improved hearing health awareness and interventions.
- Encourages further research and professional engagement in pediatric audiology in the region.
Objective:
The present study was designed to generate population-based data on the prevalence and causes of hearing loss in rural Pakistani children. A community screening programme was utilized to identify and evaluate the hearing impaired.
Methods:
The study was performed in conjunction with the Ministry of Population Welfare in Sialkot District, Punjab Province. School-aged children between the ages of 5 and 15 years were screened and examined for hearing impairment according to World Health Organization (WHO) protocols. Case-control analysis of audiometric, physical examination, and risk factors for hearing loss were performed, followed by chi-square analyses.
Results:
A total of 607 children comprised the study population, with an overall point prevalence of hearing impairment of 7.9%. Fifty percent of all hearing loss was conductive in nature, amenable to either medical or surgical therapy. The risk factors most associated with conductive hearing loss were otorrhea and multiple ear infections greater than 5. In cases of severe hearing loss, 70% were the result of consanguinous marriages. Almost no cases of hearing loss were attributable to measles, mumps, rubella, and the TORCH infections.
Conclusion:
This study has generated some badly needed population-based data on the magnitude of the problem of hearing loss in rural Pakistan. It is hoped that the results of this work will stress the importance of hearing health in Pakistan and to encourage other professionals to pursue similar projects.