Prevalence of hearing impairment in school children (aged 8-14 years) in the villages of Vadamavanthal, Tamil Nadu, India

Authors

  • Prasan Norman Department of Community Medicine, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Mahendran Chandran Department of Community Medicine, Meenakshi Medical College, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Thirunaaukarasu Dhandapani Department of Community Medicine, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20164257

Keywords:

8 years, 14 years, Hearing loss, School children

Abstract

Background: Children with hearing loss, congenital or acquired, have minimum or no schooling. There are lots of school dropouts in children who have hearing impairment due to trouble keeping up with their peers. This not only affects the economic development but also the social development in communities and countries. The importance of hard of hearing is often largely underestimated since it is an invisible disability. It is mostly asymptomatic, and thus easily overlooked .Not many parents understand about it, till the child’s teacher mentions it to them.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of hearing impairment in school children aged 8years to 14 years in the schools in Vadamavanthal area during the months of January 2013 to July 2013. The students were interviewed through pre-tested questionnaire and aural examination was done by a qualified otolaryngologist.

Results: This study was conducted among 700 school children of age 8 to 14 years. 216 (30.9%) school children were suffering from hearing impairment. It was more prevalent in the age group of 8 years followed by the age group of 14 years.

Conclusions: Simple measures like regular screening for ear diseases and hearing assessment done at the school level can help identify hearing impairment. Hearing impairment leads to poor academic achievement and affect the child’s vocational choices in future.

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Published

2016-12-22

How to Cite

Norman, P., Chandran, M., & Dhandapani, T. (2016). Prevalence of hearing impairment in school children (aged 8-14 years) in the villages of Vadamavanthal, Tamil Nadu, India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 3(12), 3369–3373. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20164257

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Section

Original Research Articles