Results of hearing screening of school-age children in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Weronika Świerniak,Irina Pierzyńska,Elżbieta Gos,Kinga Wołujewicz,Piotr Henryk Skarżyński,Adam Walkowiak,Katarzyna Beata Cywka,Henryk Skarżyński

doi:10.1017/s1463423620000183

Abstract

To gauge the prevalence of hearing loss in school children in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and refer pupils with positive results for further diagnostic testing. According to WHO data, hearing disorders are common in school-age children. Screening for hearing loss is an important preventative tool, helping to avoid further complications. Expenditure that supports early child development can reduce future outlay on health care and social services; it can eliminate disability problems, education deficits, and social maladaptation in later adult life. Pure-tone air-conduction hearing thresholds were obtained at 0.5-8 kHz. The results of the hearing screening examination were regarded as positive if pure-tone thresholds were higher than 20 dB HL in one or both ears at one or more of the test frequencies. Data were also obtained from follow-up visits of children who failed the initial screening. This study included 452 children aged 7-13 years old. Based on audiograms, screening showed that 123 (27.2%) of the children had hearing impairment. The study has important implications for clinical practice and health policy. There is a need for systematic monitoring of hearing status among children of this age, and parents and educators need to be made aware of the significance of hearing loss.

Highlights

Around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing disorders, and 34 million of these are children (World Health Organization, 2019)
Positive results of hearing screening were obtained in 123 children (27.2%), while the other 329 children (72.8%) had audiometric thresholds below the 20 dB criterion
Screening program was to alert parents and the school more generally to children’s hearing problems. These activities were part of a general effort to improve the state of medical care in Kyrgyzstan using information technology

Summary

Introduction

Around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing disorders, and 34 million of these are children (World Health Organization, 2019). It is well known that late detection, and delayed therapy and rehabilitation of hearing disorders, has negative consequences in terms of language and speech development, emotional and cognitive development, and learning at all levels (Skarżyński and Ludwikowski, 2018). For these reasons, universal newborn hearing screening programs have been introduced in many countries to allow early identification of hearing loss (Fortnum et al, 2001; Skarżyński et al, 2014). The high cost of equipment, poor availability of hearing services, long distances, and shortage of professionals inevitably lead to shortfalls in hearing health care (Sandström et al, 2020)

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