Magnitude of Hearing Loss and Associated Factors Among Children with Sleep- Disordered Breathing Attending St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Worldwide, sleep-disordered breathing is an important cause of morbidity in children, affecting various systems. Itsprevalence is increasing due to different factors, including Ethiopia. Among others, it causes auditory consequences if not timelymanaged. However, its estimates regarding hearing problems along with its contributing factors are not adequately investigatedin the study setting.Objective: To assess the magnitude and the association of hearing loss among children with sleep-disordered breathing attending otorhinolaryngology clinic of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study design employing retrospective chart review was conducted. Data were collected usingstructured checklist. Systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit medical records of children diagnosed withsleep-disordered breathing. Data were cleaned via Epi-info and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Data were summarized usingdescriptive statistics. Multiple logistic regression was performed to identify association between dependent and independentvariables, computing odds ratio. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Texts, tables and figures were used to present theresults.Results: Out of 211 studied children, 122 (57.8%) were males and children’s age ranged from three months to fourteen years,with median (interquartile range) of 4 (3-6) years. Of all children, 22.3% (95% CI: 17-28) were diagnosed of hearing loss. Afteradjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, it was found that patients with sleep apnea were more likely todevelop hearing loss than their counterparts (AOR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.04,4.21).Conclusion: Hearing loss is a common health problem in patients with sleep-disordered breathing. There is a serious need forbetter ear care and screening programs for early detection and management of this problem.