A Prevalence Study of Hearing Loss among Primary School Children in the South East of Iran

Experience of conductive hearing loss and impacts of hearing aid use throughout life

Introduction

Hearing loss and Deafness/deafness affects as much as 5% of the world's population and has a considerable health and economic burden. We explored the relationship with hearing and hearing aids as well as other assistive technology for health in general with a cohort of UK adults who have conductive hearing loss. We anticipated that insights could lead to greater understanding for the delivery of assistive technology (AT) for conductive hearing loss and the participant's lived experience related to technology and society.

Methods

This study presents the qualitative findings from a mixed methods study exploring the story of each participant's hearing, the impact on their lives and their experience and use of AT. A purposive sample of 33 adults with conductive hearing loss took part in semi-structured interviews. Participants were aged ≥18 years and had previously attended outpatient ENT or audiology clinic at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Transcripts underwent thematic analysis.

Results

The overarching theme was "A changing relationship over time with deafness, themselves and society". The three principle sub-themes of the interviews were "a technological world" describing the necessity of interaction with people & technology' both as children and adults, then the concept of "Normalised Marginalisation"-the struggle of childhood and school in the face of social norms' and typicality. Finally, there were issues raised about visibility and "the visible display of D/deafness", tied to aesthetics, vanity and traditional ideas about masculinity. Many participants described their adoption of new technology or devices as "transforming their life" and their quality of life without assistive technology as significantly impaired.

Conclusion

Insights from this study described the experiences of adults with conductive hearing loss and the ways in which they have a difficult relationship with their deafness, including how they felt and viewed themselves and how they interacted with society, particularly as children and young adults. The potential for benefit of assistive technology for hearing health was deemed by many participants to be a necessary bridge integrating them in relationships with other people in society. Early notions of disability, typicality and social norms frequently persisted into adulthood and these insights should be considered by all those professional seeking to provided hearing health assistance to individuals with conductive hearing loss.

The Importance of Hearing Screening and Central Auditory Processing in School-Aged Children

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of undiagnosed hearing impairment or central auditory processing disorders in children from I and VIII grades of primary schools in Warsaw.

METHODS

The participants in the study were 15,659 pupils from classes I and VIII attending primary schools in Warsaw. As part of the study, the hearing threshold for air conduction at frequencies of 0.5-8 kHz was determined, and a test assessing central auditory processing was performed: FPT (Frequency Pattern Test), DDT (Dichotic Digit Test), the Auditory Behaviour Scale (SAB), and an interview questionnaire developed for the program.

RESULTS

Abnormal test results were found in 1946 children, of which abnormal hearing screening test results were found in 678 children tested, while reduced central auditory processing results were found in 1268 children.

CONCLUSIONS

The program implemented draws attention to the fact that tests of central auditory processing are included in the testing protocol. As has been shown, peripheral hearing testing alone is not sufficient to exclude abnormalities concerning the sense of hearing.

Language Intervention Instead of Speech Intervention for Children With Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants are a standard rehabilitation option for children with severe hearing loss or deafness, allowing access to speech sounds necessary for the development of spoken language. However, the speech-language outcomes of pediatric cochlear implant users vary widely and are not directly or exclusively linked to technology but to combinations of individual audiological, personal, technical, and habilitational factors. These combinations may not favor spoken language development, which may further be linked to the issue of prior insistence on spoken language learning and associated with a high risk of language deprivation. Here, we discuss the outcomes of cochlear implantation from a habilitative perspective and lay down the efforts and resources necessary for the development of communication competence after cochlear implantation rather than the achievement of specific hearing, language, or speech skills that have limited socioemotional and educational contributions and do not guarantee an independent or productive life.

Clinical characteristics of infants identified with a conductive hearing loss through universal newborn hearing screening: A population-based sample

BACKGROUND

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) aims to identify infants born with a permanent hearing loss. However, many are also diagnosed with a conductive hearing loss (CHL) and are at subsequent risk for developmental delays. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CHL and determine which clinical characteristics collected at birth, predict CHL within UNHS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis was conducted on all infants born between January 01, 2007 and December 31, 2018. During this period, 731,234 infants were screened, 9802 were direct referrals, and 1208 identified with a CHL. Chi squared analysis and logistic regression was conducted to determine CHL prevalence and identify which clinical characteristics predict CHL.

RESULTS

The prevalence of CHL was 12.32%. Following adjustments for collinearity, clinical characteristics that could predict CHL were: bilateral referrals/medical exclusions to screen (Odds ratio, OR 1.89; 95% CI: 1.65-2.1), ≥1 risk factor for hearing loss (OR 2.03; 95% CI: 1.76-2.34), pre-term birth (OR 1.82; 95% CI: 1.57-2.10), male (OR 1.21; 95% CI: 1.07-1.37), and Indigenous status: 'Aboriginal (not Torres Strait Islander)' (OR 1.27; 95% CI:1.03-1.57 and 'not stated' (OR 2.95; 95% CI: 2.02-4.30).

CONCLUSION

CHL within UNHS was highly prevalent, with six clinical characteristics that can predict that likelihood of an infant being diagnosed with a CHL. This data could be used to create alternative care pathways for infants with CHL, enabling early and targeted assessments, thereby reducing the risk of developmental delays for these infants.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss among School-Age Children in the North of Iran

Introduction:

The present study aimed to investigate the audiological profiles of elementary school-age children in Rasht, Iran, and estimate the prevalence of hearing impairments in this population.

Materials and Methods:

In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, the hearing threshold was screened using pure tone audiometry (PTA). Hearing impairment was defined as equal to or higher than 20 dB HL. Results of the hearing thresholds were separately reported in the left or right ears and better or worse ears. Logistic regression tests were used to investigate the association between hearing loss and possible risk factors. In this study, all the analyses were conducted using SPSS software (version 21).

Results:

The present study was carried out on a total of 2019 children. Mean age of the participants was reported as 9.66±1.66 years. Based on low-frequency pure-tone average, the prevalence rates of hearing loss > 15 dB in the right and left ears were reported as 1.94% and 1.68%, respectively. The high-frequency hearing loss > 15 dB in the right and left ears was obtained at 1.14% and 1.04%, respectively. Prevalence rate of hearing loss (in all frequencies) in boys was higher than that in girls. There was a strong association between a history of otitis media and sensorineural or conductive hearing loss (adjusted odds ratio reported as 12.2 and 8.1, respectively).

Conclusion:

In this study, the rate of hearing loss in the participants was approximately 2%. It was concluded that the screening of hearing loss in children is necessary for the identification and management of these children as early as possible. It is recommended to perform further trials to investigate the impact of different causes on childhood hearing impairment.

The Prevalence of Hearing Impairment by Age and Gender in a Population-based Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hearing impairment (HI) by age and gender in a population aged 5 yr and older residing in Tehran, Iran.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 140 clusters each including 10 households from Tehran, Iran were sampled between 2012 and 2013 using cluster random sampling. Trained audiologists examined the participants during face-to-face interviews. The hearing of the participants was evaluated before the removal of wax or other foreign bodies. In this study, HI was categorized as mild (grade 1, 26-40 db), moderate (grade 2, 41-60 db), severe (grade 3, 61-80 db), and deaf (grade 5, 81 db or more). All participants signed informed consent forms. The SATA software was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Of 6521 individuals, 4370 (67%) were interviewed. The prevalence of HI (auditory threshold of 0.5, 1, 2, 4 KHz and more than 25 db in the better ear) was 14.27 (11.53-17.91) of whom 9.52 (7.07-11.98) had grade 1, 4.04 (3.02-5.06) had grade 2, 0.67 (0.33-1.02) had grade 3 HI and 0.48 (0.16-0.8) were deaf. About 5.19% of the participants had disabling hearing impairment. All HI grades increased significantly with age but no significant difference was observed between men and women.

CONCLUSION

The considerable prevalence of HI in Iran in comparison with other developing countries, with regards to the trend of aging in the population, seems concerning. The results of the study could be used as a treatment and research guideline for future works in the area of policymaking and plan to decrease these disorders.

Triagem auditiva escolar: identificação de alterações auditivas em crianças do primeiro ano do ensino fundamental

Resumo: OBJETIVO: caracterizar o perfil audiológico de escolares do primeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental da rede municipal da cidade de Caxias do Sul-RS, investigando e identificando a ocorrência de alterações auditivas nesta população, por meio de medidas eletroacústicas. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal, prospectivo, descritivo e quantitativo de 391 escolares do primeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental de escolas municipais da cidade de Caxias do Sul-RS. Os estudantes foram submetidos a quatro procedimentos audiológicos na Triagem Auditiva Escolar: Meatoscopia, Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas por Estímulo Transiente, Emissões Otoacústicas - Produto de Distorção e Timpanometria. Além disso, os responsáveis pelas crianças responderam a um questionário com perguntas referentes ao desenvolvimento e aos antecedentes otológicos de cada criança. Os escolares que apresentaram alguma alteração auditiva na Triagem Auditiva foram encaminhados para avaliação otorrinolaringológica e/ou avaliação audiológica completa. RESULTADOS: das 782 orelhas avaliadas, 85,4% apresentaram normalidade nos exames realizados e 14,6% demonstraram algum tipo de alteração. Na Meatoscopia, verificou-se que 6,3% das orelhas apresentaram alterações. Passaram nas Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas por Estímulo Transiente 94,8% das orelhas e nas Emissões Otoacústicas - Produto de Distorção 95,8%. Na Timpanometria, a curva predominante foi a tipo A, seguida pela tipo C. Foram realizados encaminhamentos para 14,6% dos escolares. CONCLUSÃO: a população desse estudo foi composta, em sua maioria, por escolares do gênero masculino, com seis anos de idade. Das 782 orelhas avaliadas, 85,4% apresentaram normalidade nos exames realizados e 14,6% demonstraram algum tipo de alteração.