A study on awareness of hearing health, risk factors, prevention, and intervention of hearing impairment-among pregnant women and mothers of newborn in urban area, Bhubaneswar

Abstract

Background: The study was aimed at investigating the knowledge of awareness of hearing health, risk factors causing hearing loss and preventive measures for hearing disability at natal stages and awareness regarding the intervention among the pregnant women and mothers of newborn in urban area i.e. in Bhubaneswar.Methods: 53 pregnant women and 103 mothers of newborn had participated in the present study and were agreed to provide their awareness regarding the questionnaire related to selected parameters their responses were scored and documented for the statistics.Results: Results indicates that mothers were more aware of the selected parameters like risk factors during natal stages, intervention as compared to pregnant women. Mothers (66.01%) and pregnant women (56.22%) were more aware of prenatal risk factors as compared to peri and postnatal. Almost 60% of total participants were aware of hearing health and intervention for hearing loss. Two-way ANOVA was computed. p<0.0001, indicates statistically significant difference between the selected parameters i.e. awareness of hearing health and intervention and awareness of risk factors and prevention for hearing impairment at natal stages. Post hoc analysis (using unpaired t test by applying Bonferroni correction) suggestive of statistically significant difference of selected parameters from each other among pregnant women and mothers with p=0.0002.Conclusions: It is very much important to utilize the existing knowledge of the grass root level people like mothers and pregnant women by acquiring their ideas and information regarding the awareness of occurrence of hearing impairment in children which can be done only by spreading adequate information regarding hearing disability.