TY - JOUR
T1 - Teacher Prescreening for Hearing Loss in the Developing World
AU - Shinn, Justin R.
AU - Jayawardena, Asitha D.L.
AU - Patro, Ankita
AU - Zuniga, M. Geraldine
AU - Netterville, James L.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Tawfiq Hospital; the Caris Foundation; Ian Macharia, MBChB (Department of Otolaryngology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya), Chrispus Munga, CO (Caris Foundation, Malindi, Kenya), and Jim Reppart, MA (Caris Foundation, Malindi, Kenya). The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - The goal of this prospective cohort study was to characterize the ability of teachers to identify schoolchildren at risk of hearing loss in order to maximize hearing screening efficiency in low-resource settings. At 4 semirural schools in Malindi, Kenya, preselected schoolchildren perceived as hearing impaired were compared to children thought to have normal hearing using portable audiometry. Eight of 127 children (54% male) failed hearing screening, all of who were identified by schoolteachers as having a high risk of hearing loss. Thus, for every 5 children prescreened by schoolteachers, an average of 1 child would be identified as having hearing loss. Overall, teacher prescreening had a 100% hearing loss identification rate and a 20% referral rate. In conclusion, in resource-limited settings, where universal hearing screening is challenging, teachers can effectively identify children with hearing loss for early intervention.
AB - The goal of this prospective cohort study was to characterize the ability of teachers to identify schoolchildren at risk of hearing loss in order to maximize hearing screening efficiency in low-resource settings. At 4 semirural schools in Malindi, Kenya, preselected schoolchildren perceived as hearing impaired were compared to children thought to have normal hearing using portable audiometry. Eight of 127 children (54% male) failed hearing screening, all of who were identified by schoolteachers as having a high risk of hearing loss. Thus, for every 5 children prescreened by schoolteachers, an average of 1 child would be identified as having hearing loss. Overall, teacher prescreening had a 100% hearing loss identification rate and a 20% referral rate. In conclusion, in resource-limited settings, where universal hearing screening is challenging, teachers can effectively identify children with hearing loss for early intervention.
KW - audiometry
KW - global health
KW - hearing loss
KW - hearing tests
KW - low- and middle-income countries
KW - low-resourced settings
KW - mobile health
KW - physician-extenders
KW - public health
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U2 - 10.1177/0145561319880388
DO - 10.1177/0145561319880388
M3 - Article
C2 - 31608682
AN - SCOPUS:85074506225
SN - 0145-5613
VL - 100
SP - 259S-262S
JO - Ear, Nose and Throat Journal
JF - Ear, Nose and Throat Journal
IS - 3_suppl
ER -