Prevalence and associated factors of hearing loss among patients visiting St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia
1 ENT Department, St. Paul hospital Millennium medical college, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2 EPR Department, World Health Organization (WHO)-Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
3 Public Health Department, Addis Ababa University, College Health Science, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Research Article
World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 2024, 17(02), 331–343
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjbphs.2024.17.2.0053
Publication history:
Received on 24 December 2023; revised on 31 January 2024; accepted on 03 February 2024
Abstract:
Background: Globally, 5% of the population is estimated to have disabling hearing loss (HL) requiring rehabilitation. By 2050, over 700 million people, or 1 in 10 people, will have HL. HL can happen during different lifetimes, but the prevalence of HL increases with age. Over 25% of people older than 60 are affected by disabling HL. WHO estimates that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of HL due to unsafe hearing practices. Objective: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of HL among patients visiting St. Paul’s Hospital and Millennium Medical College. Materials and Method: a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from August 1st to 30th, 2023. Data was collected from 352 participants using an interviewer-administered questionnaire by systematic sampling technique. Data was checked for completeness, cleared, entered into Epi-Info, and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted, and the statistical association between variables was described using a p-value of < 0.05. Result: Of all study participants, 213 (60.5%) were male; the mean age and standard deviation were 35.36 + 17.03 years; and 199 (56.5%) had a different degree of hearing loss. Mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss were recorded among 17%, 20%, 15%, and 4% of the respondents, respectively. Factors of hearing loss were age group, occupation, hearing difficulty, noisy work exposure, drinking alcohol, and Khat chewing. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of hearing loss was very high, and preventive interventions like improving knowledge on risk factors, ensuring a safe working environment, and avoiding chewing Khat for the at-risk population were recommended.
Keywords:
Audiometry, Hearing loss; Prevalence; Associated Factors; St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College
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