Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hearing Impairment Among Primary-School Children in Shebin El-Kom District, Egypt

Purpose: This study examined the feasibility of screening hearing loss in rural and urban schools in Egypt, and investigated the prevalence and causes of hearing impairment (HI) in Egyptian primary-school students. Method: A total of 555 children (6-12 years of age) from a rural and an urban school in the Shebin El-Kom District of Egypt were screened for HI at their schools. A 2-stage screening procedure was used, and positive cases were referred for a diagnostic hearing assessment at a regional medical facility. Risk factors were investigated through a parent questionnaire and an environmental study consisting of noise, ventilation, and crowding measurements at the schools. Results: The screening failure rate was 25.6%, and the prevalence of confirmed HI was 20.9%. The rate of HI did not differ across the schools. Conductive hearing loss of minimal to mild severity was the most common type of HI. The most important predictors for HI were parent suspicion, otitis media, household smoking, low socioeconomic status, and postnatal jaundice. Conclusions: The prevalence of HI did not differ across settings and was more common than reported in children from developed countries. The screening results also suggest that professionals with limited audiology background can be trained to implement hearing screening programs in Egyptian schools.