Parental Awareness of Risks and Causes of Hearing Loss and the Acceptance of the Intervention in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Background and Objectives: Pediatric hearing loss (HL) hinders or delays a child's auditory and speech development. This issue that results in anxiety and stress among parents affects the child's ability to engage in communication, participation in age-appropriate activities, and functional and language skills. This study aimed to assess parents' knowledge about risks and causes of HL and the acceptance of the intervention among Saudi parents living in Taif city. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2020 and December 2020 through a pretested questionnaire that was published using an online-based (electronic) form. The questionnaire included items related to sensorineural HL, otitis media, conductive HL, and oto-acoustic emission. The total knowledge scores were calculated based on correct and wrong answers, and the relationship between knowledge level and other variables was determined. Results: In this study, the reported prevalence of HL among children was 5.6%. The knowledge related to various types of HL and their risk factors was determined to be good at only 4.5% of the participants. There was no statistically significant difference observed in knowledge between male and female parents (P = 0.620), different age groups (P = 0.591), and education levels of the participants (0.096). Conclusion: Parents need to be educated about conventional risk factors for HL because there was inadequate knowledge among our study population. In addition, it is necessary to increase awareness about various audiology services to facilitate early detection and intervention.