ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: A person is said to have hearing loss if they cannot hear within the normal hearing threshold of 20 decibels or better in both ears (WHO, 2021). Hearing loss is a public health problem with March 3rd of every year observed internationally as hearing loss day. (WHO, 2017). Currently more than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss. It is the fourth highest cause of disability worldwide and it is projected that by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people will have some form of hearing loss. (WHO, 2021). Hearing loss can impede speech and language development, which ultimately translates to poor academic performance (Gurgel R et al, 2014). Hearing loss also affects the ability of adults to enter and stay in the workforce and as a result, reduce their earning power and financial standing. Hearing impairment is one of the most frequent sensory deficits in human beings, and is the fourth highest cause of disability worldwide. The prevalence of hearing loss in Nigeria is currently 23.7%.
AIM: The aim of this study is to assess hearing loss among University of Benin students.
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hearing loss among university students and to assess the knowledge and practice of ear care among university students.
METHODS: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in the University of Benin, Edo state, Nigeria between January 2022 and November 2022. The exercise was carried out among undergraduate students of the university. The sample size was calculated for using the sample size determination equation for prevalence. 425 persons were sampled using convenience sampling method. Part-time students and post graduate students were exempted from this study. The research instrument was a pre-tested structured, self-administered questionnaire with 6 sections designed to obtain demographic data, assess the presence of ear related symptoms, assess the knowledge and practice of ear care, determine the etiology of the respondent’s hearing loss in any and determine the management cost of management of hearing loss. Data analysis was done using IBM-Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of the 425 respondents that were surveyed, 189 (44.5%) were male and 236 (55.5%) were female. The total prevalence of hearing loss was calculated to be 5.4% (23 respondents), with 18 (4.2%) of the respondents being in the age group of 16 to 23 years, and 5 (1.2%) being in the age group of 24 to 30 years. This is consistent with the findings from a community study carried out in Ibadan (Jaiyeola et al, 2018), as opposed to a hospital-based study where prevalence could be as high as 43% (Ogunkeyede et al, 2019). Of the 23 respondents with hearing loss, 7 (1.6%) were male and 16 (3.8%) were female. 10 respondents (2.3%) each who had hearing loss were in the faculties of sciences and Art and Humanities, while 3 (0.7%) were in the medical sciences. Majority (2.3%) of the 23 respondents who had hearing loss belong to the lower socio-economic status, while 1.6% and 1.4% respectively belonged to the middle and high socio-economic status. Of the 425 respondents, 48 (11.3%) respondents showed good knowledge of ear care, while 377 (88.7%) showed poor knowledge of ear care. 399 (79.8%) respondents showed good practice of ear care, while 86 (20.2%) showed poor knowledge of ear care.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hearing impairment among University of Benin students was seen to be 5.4%. A significant majority of the students in the University of Benin have poor knowledge of ear care. Further study should be carried out to properly determine the effect of hearing impairment on class attendance and over all academic performance.
