Hearing Impairment In School Children Research Articles

Exploring The Efficacy Of Self-Concept And Psychosocial Skill Enhancement Interventions In Hearing-Impaired Children: A Comparative Analysis

This comparative study aimed to measure the impact of social skills training on the self-perception and psychosocial challenges experienced by school children with hearing impairment. The participants were divided into two groups: one received social skills training, and other was a control group, and self-report measures were used to evaluate their self-concept and psychosocial problems before and after the training. The outcomes displayed a significant upgrading in self-concep[1]t scores and a decline in psychosocial problem scores following the training. Gender differences were observed, with girls go through greater self-concept improvement, while boys displayed higher psychosocial problem scores post-training. In addition, a multivariate analysis proved a significant relation between gender and treatment group, suggesting potential gender-specific effects of social skills training. Conversely, the study was subject to certain limitations, including a small sample size and reliance on self-report measures. Future research should address these limitations and investigate the mechanisms and long-term effects of social skills training in hearing-impaired children, while considering gender-specific factors. Overall, this study contributes valuable insights to the existing literature on the effectiveness of social skills training in enhancing the well-being of hearing-impaired school children.

Population Based Study and Global Estimates of Hearing Impairment in Schoolchildren

Hearing impairments in schoolchildren affects learning and communication. Reliable data on hearing loss prevalence in this group are necessary for planning the audiological care. Aim. To compare data from a population based study of the hearing loss prevalence in schoolchildren and estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in the Republic of Yemen. Materials and methods. Data extraction was performed from the GBD database on the prevalence of bilateral hearing loss >20 dB among children aged 5–9 years in the Republic of Yemen. A two stage study of hearing loss prevalence among primary school students aged 6–9 years in Sana’a, Republic of Yemen, in a sample of 2200 children using screening audiometry at 20 dB at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz is school settings, followed by tonal threshold audiometry and tympanometry in a specialized clinic. Hearing loss was assessed as unilateral or bilateral when hearing thresholds were higher than 25 dB. Results. According to GBD estimates, bilateral hearing impairment in this population is 2.2%, including 1.4% of mild degree. According to the results of a Yemenian population study, mild and moderate hearing impairment was detected in 10.6%, of which 6.8% – unilateral, 3.8% – bilateral hearing loss. There were no cases of severe or profound hearing loss. The prevalence of otitis media with effusion was 6%, chronic suppurative otitis media – 1.8%, sensorineural hearing loss – 1.6%. Conclusion. Bilateral hearing impairments occur in 2.2–3.8% of primary school students, with unilateral impairments the prevalence is up to 10.6%. Of these, at least 65% have conductive hearing loss due to pathology of the middle ear. The data obtained will improve the efficiency of ear and hearing care for schoolchildren.

Screening of Hearing and Vision Impairment in Primary School Children in Relation to Grade and Sex

Objective – The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of hearing and sight impairment, and the differences in relation to school grade and sex in school children in the area of the Jajce municipality.Materials and Methods – Screening of sight and hearing impairment in school children took place in 2018 and 2019. Vision screening covered a total of 1002 students from 1st to 5th grades, and hearing screening 768 students from 2nd to 5th grades in all central and district (rural) schools in the area of the municipality of Jajce.Results – Of the total number of students covered by the vision screening, in 163 (16%) some impairment was noticed, and they were sent for further diagnostic testing by a specialist. In relation to sex, there was a higher percentage of girls, 60%, than boys, 40%. In relation to screening of hearing, 44 (6%) of the students were sent for further diagnostics, of which 57% were boys and 43% girls. During the vision screening, 5% of the students were wearing dioptric glasses. In relation to age, the largest number of students were in first grade, 14 (27%), then in second grade, 10 students (19%). Conclusion – In this study, the results showed that a large percentage of school children were found with hearing and vision impairment, which indicates the pressing need to continue running these preventive programmes.

A Study to Assess Anemia Level among Hearing Impaired School Students in Special School, Palakkad

A descriptive study was conducted to assess anemia among hearing impaired school children in a special school in Palakkad. The objective of the study is to assess hemoglobin level among hearing impaired children. The sample size is 30 and purposive sampling technique is used. In data collection procedure, hemoglobin level of school children was assessed and grade of anemia was analyzed. The study findings is that normal haemoglobin leve1 is 6 (53.33%), mild anemia includes 12 (40%), moderate anemia zero and severe anemia includes 2 (6.67%). After the research and analysis, the study subjects were administered with iron supplementation.

Vision screening among hearing-impaired school children in Biratnagar, Nepal

Background: The prevalence of hearing impairment in Nepal is 16.5%, affecting approximately 2.71 million people. Deaf children are visually dependent, and even a mild refractive error may cause visual discomfort. The goal of this study was to determine the need for vision screenings in schools for the hearing impaired in Biratnagar, Nepal.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with permission from Birat Deaf Secondary School, Biratnagar, Nepal. A total of 130 hearing-impaired students were examined. Non-invasive, comprehensive optometric examinations were performed to detect visual disorders. When a more detailed evaluation was needed, the students were referred to the Pediatric Ophthalmology Department, Biratnagar Eye Hospital Biratnagar, Nepal.
 Results: Of the 130 hearing-impaired students, 58 (44.6%) were male and 72 (55.4%) were female. The mean ± standard deviation of age was 16.03 ± 3.8 years (range 6–25 years). Twenty-one (16.1%) students had refractive errors: 13 (10%) had myopia, 7 (5.4%) had hyperopia, and 1 (0.8%) had anisometropia. In the cover test, 88 (67.7%) had orthophoria, 19 (14.6%) had exophoria, 11 (8.5%) had esophoria, 5 (3.85%) had exotropia, and 3 (2.3%) had esotropia. Cover tests were not performed in 4 (3.1%) students, as they were unable to fixate due to nystagmus or decreased vision. On ocular examination, 20 (15.3%) students had anterior segment abnormalities, including lid abnormality, conjunctivitis, Bitot’s spots, pterygium, corneal opacity, and lenticular opacity. Posterior segment or retinal abnormalities were found in four students with one having Usher syndrome. Color vision defects, nystagmus, and amblyopia were found in 8 (6.1%), 2 (1.5 %), and 1 (0.8%), respectively.
 Conclusions: The findings of the present study reflect the need of periodic vision screenings in schools for the hearing impaired in Nepal. These children are at a high risk of vision impairment.
 
 How to cite this article: Sah SK, Thakur R, Adhikari PR. Vision screening among hearing-impaired school children in Biratnagar, Nepal. Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Optom. 2021 Spring; 2(1): 36-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51329/mehdioptometry123
 

Psychosocial issues of hearing impaired school children: a psychometric approach.

To develop a valid and reliable scale for measuring psychosocial issues of hearing-impaired school children. The cross-sectional study with four stage model of scale development was conducted at Multan, Muzafargarh, and Dera Ghazi Khan Pakistan from August 2018 to January 2019. The four stages were item generation, expert validation, conversion of scale into sign language and psychometric study. The sample comprised hearing-impaired school children aged 18-23 years who were studying Special Education schools in Multan, Pakistan. Of the 230 subjects, there were 110(47.8%) boys and 120(52.2%) girls. The overall mean age was 19.90±2.46 years. Exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation revealed 26 items in 'Depressive Affect', 'Social Isolation' and 'Feeling of Anger' sub-scales with high internal consistency (r=0.85) and validity (r=-0.32). The internalised nature of psychosocial issues of children with hearing impairment needs timely identification and intervention so that silent suffering can be prevented to improve psychosocial functioning of such children.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Primary School Children in Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Disabling hearing loss has serious implications in a child's development as it reduces the intelligibility of speech thereby interfering with the learning process. This will negatively impact on their vocational choices.
 Study objective: To determine the prevalence of hearing loss in primary school children in the central zone of Lusaka district, Zambia.
 Methodology: 1277 children, aged 6 to 13 years, from public primary schools in the central zone of Lusaka district were randomly selected and examined. Clinical otologic assessment, tympanometry and audiometry screening were conducted on all participants. Children who failed the audiometry-screening test underwent a pure tone audiometry to determine the extent and nature of their hearing impairment.
 Results: The prevalence of hearing impairment was 11.5% consisting of conductive hearing loss (87.8%), sensorineural hearing loss (6.8%) and mixed hearing loss (5.4%). Hearing impairment was more common in male children (13.8%) compared to female children (9.3%) (P value= < 0.05). Thirty six point eight percent children had ear disease. The commonest ear disease was wax impaction (66%)found in children followed by otitis media with effusion (20%), foreign body ear (4%) and chronic suppurative otitis media (2%). The odds of developing hearing impairment in children with chronic suppurative otitis media was nine times greater than that of children without chronic suppurative otitis media OR = 9.9(95% CI, 2.33- 47.43).
 Conclusions: The prevalence of hearing impairment in school children in central zone of Lusaka district is high. This study shows that chronic suppurative otitis media has a statistical significant association with hearing loss and that the male children are at a higher risk of developing hearing impairment. There is urgent need for ear and hearing care awareness, and screening programs at the community level in the central zone of Lusaka district.

Auditory localisation in hearing impaired schoolchildren with and without hearing aids

Auditory localisation is part of central auditory processing. The study examined the impact of hearing aids on the auditory localisation ability of non-linguistic stimuli in hearing impaired schoolchildren. Above threshold acoustic signals were presented to 20 children (7-17 years) in a free field condition with 45 loudspeakers placed on a semicircular array. All participants had a bilaterally symmetric moderate sensorineural hearing loss (WHO grade 2) and used behind the ear style (BTE) hearing aids with conventional earmolds. The children had to indicate the position of the signal by a laser pointer. Both high- and low-frequency noise bursts were employed in the tests to separately address spatial auditory processing based on interaural time differences and interaural intensity differences. The examination was performed with and without BTE hearing aids. There was no significant difference between results in the aided and the unaided condition: neither for the different frequency bands nor for the signal positions. The auditory localisation of the hearing impaired children was reduced by 3°-4° for frontal and 5°-11° for lateral positions compared to normal-hearing children. There was no age-relation. In our experimental setting, BTE hearing aids could not compensate the impaired auditory localisation ability of children with sensorineural hearing loss.

Prevalence of ophthalmic disorders among hearing-impaired school children in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh

Purpose:To estimate the prevalence, causes, and risk factors for visual impairment (VI) among children of school for hearing-impaired (HI) in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, India.Methods:Children between 6 and 16 years of age available in all the 12 special schools for HI were examined. Visual acuity (VA) testing, ocular motility, and examination of anterior and posterior segment for all children were done. Those having VA of less than 6/12 in better eye underwent cycloplegic refraction. For definition of VI, as per World Health Organization (WHO), VA of better eye was considered. HI was also classified as mild, moderate, severe, and profound as per WHO definitions. Examination for systemic diseases and other associated disabilities was also done.Results:In all, 402 children underwent examination. Ophthalmic abnormality was seen in 64 children with a prevalence of 15.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 14.9%–16.8%], and VI was seen in 29 children with a prevalence of 7.2% (95% CI 4.9%–10.2%). Refractive errors [29 (7.2%)], retinitis pigmentosa (RP) [16 (4%)], and squint [8 (2%)] were the major ophthalmic abnormalities. Thirty-five (54.7%) of the abnormalities were either preventable or treatable. The major cause of VI was refractive error (18) followed by RP (5). Twenty of them (69%) with VI in this study group were treatable. Twenty-two (75.9%) children with eye problem were newly diagnosed. The only risk factor for VI was being mentally challenged (odds ratio: 5.63; 95% CI: 1.89–16.8).Conclusion:The prevalence of ophthalmic abnormalities and VI in school for HI was high, and the majority of them were not detected so far. As most of them are easily treatable, it is highly recommended to conduct regular eye examinations in these schools.

A study of hearing impairment in school children

A study of hearing impairment in school children

A directly comparative two-gate case–control diagnostic accuracy study of the pure tone screen and HearCheck screener tests for identifying hearing impairment in school children

ObjectivesThis study directly compared the accuracy of two audiometry-based tests for screening school children for hearing impairment: the currently used test, pure tone screen and a device newly applied to...

The factors associated with hearing impairment in school children

Background: The morbidity of ENT infections have increased considerably in recent decades, so that they are now amongst the most common chronic disorders of childhood. Awareness of hearing deficit is poor in India. The major proportion of childhood hearing impairment in developing countries is secondary to preventable causes. At the same time, even mild degrees of hearing impairment can affect proper learning in noisy class rooms where speech is produced at a distance. This in turn can have significant impact on the scholastic performance and overall development.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to identify the factors leading to 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: Out of 700 school, 216(30.9%) school children were suffering from hearing impairment. 139 (19.9%) students were found to be suffering from impacted wax, 67 (9.6%) were suffering from otitis media with effusion, 17 (2.4%) students were suffering from chronic suppurative otitis media and 5 (0.7%) students were suffering from foreign body impaction in ear.Conclusions: Simple measures like regular screening for ear diseases and hearing assessment done at the school level can help identify hearing impairment which can be modified with early health education for students and teachers.

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

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.

Prevalence of hearing impairment among primary school children in rural and urban areas of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: Hearing impairment in school children is particularly important because it is the earliest time when the foundation for education and mental and linguistic development is laid down. Present study aims at estimate the burden of hearing impairment among school children in rural and urban field practice areas of Urban and Rural Health Training Centers, JNMCH, AMU, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India . Methods: Estimated sample of 630 was taken. Sampling method: probability proportionate to size (PPS) and stratified random sampling. The children were interviewed using semi structured format followed by general examination and assessment of hearing function. The diagnosis of hearing impairment was done on the basis of history, voice test and abnormal tuning fork tests. It was considered to be present when at least either of the voice test and tuning fork tests was found to be abnormal. Results: The prevalence of Hearing Impairment among the study population was found to be 17.9% (109/610), observed to be higher among rural (18.8%) as compared to urban (13.5%) school children. It was found to be significantly associated with Standard of living Index (SLI) and nutritional status of the children . Conclusions: The study highlights the high burden of hearing impairment in study population and the need for strengthening the school health activities focused on hearing impairment.

Assessment of Hearing Impairment in School Children of Rural area in Jamalpur

The cross sectional study was done too measure prevalence of hearing impairment (HI) in school children living in poverty area of Bangladesh and to identify risk factors for HI and assess its impact on academic performance. The study was conducted on 325 school children (aged 6-19 years) of Digpait D.K high school, Jamalpur, from January 2013 to July 2013. Audiological health was assessed with pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, and otoscopy. The primary outcome was HI, defined as average threshold >25 dB HL for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz, in one or both ears (a s per World Health Organization/International Organization for Standardization). A questionnaire on health history was administered to parents. HI prevalence: 6.9 percent, risk factors for HI: neonatal jaundice (8.0) seizure (7. 31), hospitalization (15.3), recurrent otitis media (13), past otorrhea (13.7), tympanic membrane abnormality (14.8), cerumen impaction (6.3) and eustachian tube dysfunction (8.67). HI was an independent predictor of academic failure (3.36). impoverished Bangladesh school children were four to seven times more likely to experience HI than children living in higher-income countries. Untreated middle ear disease in the context of limited access to pediatric care was a major risk factor for HI. Furthermore, HI was associated with worse scholastic achievement.

Ocular morbidity in hearing impaired school children in Eastern Nepal

Background: The association between deafness and ocular problems is well established; however the nature and prevalence of these problems are diverse across the globe. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the nature and prevalence of ophthalmologic abnormalities in deaf students and offer treatment to those with remediable conditions. Method: Eighty seven deaf students aged between six and 25 years were examined in a school for the deaf. The study was cross-sectional and descriptive in nature. The research proforma was developed to collect the data. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: Twenty-three (26.43%) had some form of ophthalmologic abnormality. Some had anterior segment abnormalities such as corneal opacities (1.14%) and conjunctivitis (4.59%) while others had posterior segment abnormalities like optic atrophy (1.14%), and Ushers syndrome (1.14%). Refractive error was the most common (14.94%). Conclusion: Since these deaf students use their sight to compensate for the deafness, routine ophthalmologic examination should be carried out on them so that ophthalmologic abnormalities are detected early and treatment offered for remediable diseasesDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jkmc.v3i1.10916Journal of Kathmandu Medical College, Vol. 3, No. 1, Issue 7, Jan.-Mar., 2014, Page: 4-7

Compliance and Usability of Weber and Rinne’s Tests For Audio Acuity Among Primary School Children From a Health Resource Poor Community

Background: Normal auditory acuity is needed for transmission and reception of speech between teachers and students, and from student to student for effective communication and learning. Hearing impairment in school children will potentially cause difficulty perceiving speech clearly in the educational environment. Materials and Methods: Auditory acuity measurements were conducted on 300 primary school children using the Weber and Rinne’s tests. Results: Nearly all the children 292 (97.3%) had good hearing. Eight (2.7%) had ipsilateral conduction hearing impairment. Of these, 5 (62.5%) occurred on the right and 3 (37.5%) on the left ear; they were referred to the otorynolaryngologist for further evaluation and management. Conclusion: Our subjects demonstrated high compliance to Weber and Rinne’s tests which were found to be usable in screening hearing impairment in school children. These tests can be incorporated into the school health programmes in resource poor countries where high tech hearing screening facilities are not readily affordable and available. In addition, the test can be conducted at primary health centers thereby decongesting both secondary and tertiary health facilities. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v33i2.7673 J Nepal Paediatr Soc. 2013; 33(2):95-98

Ocular morbidity in hearing impaired schoolchildren

To determine the pattern and prevalence of ocular morbidity in hearing impaired schoolchildren. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the three different deaf schools of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Kavre districts. All children in the deaf school underwent complete ocular examination. Examination included visual acuity assessment, refraction, binocular vision assessment, and anterior and posterior segment evaluation. Ocular examination was carried out in 279 children with age range within 5 to 20 years (mean age 14.1 ± 3.14 years). Ocular morbidity was detected in 78 (28%) children with 46 (16.48%) having refractive errors. Seventy eight percent children did not have corrective lenses despite having refractive errors. Two children were found to have pigmentary retinopathy where electro-retinogram findings suggested Usher's Syndrome in one child. Another child was found to have Waardenburg Syndrome. Hearing impaired children are at an increased risk of having ocular morbidity. Hence, periodic eye examinations are important in deaf children.

Actual conditions of communication in hearing-impaired school children and students

Actual conditions of communication in hearing-impaired school children and students

Vowel training experiments with a computer-based vowel training system

In previous work signal processing algorithms were presented for real-time mapping of vowels to a two-dimensional display for articulation training [Beck and Zahorian, ICASSP-92, II, 241–244]. In this paper, a series of tests designed to evaluate the effectiveness of this display for vowel training are reported. Experiments were conducted with five non-native normally hearing speakers of English and with four hearing-impaired children. The foreign speakers practiced with the vowel training aid for two 30 min sessions per week over a 10 week period. Pre, mid, and post-training testing showed that all subjects learned to modify vowel productions to consistently match the specified ‘‘target’’ vowel positions depicted on the computer. The vowel training exercises with hearing-impaired school children (ages 7 to 10) were performed in therapy sessions over a 1-year period. The quantitative evaluation of the children’s data is more ambiguous than for the foreign-speaker training, but there was some progress. These results show that the instantaneous visual feedback provided by the vowel training system can be used to improve vowel productions, but that additional improvement is still required to make the system more effective for hearing-impaired children.