THE PREVALENCE OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT AMONG SCHOOL ENTRY CHILDREN IN ALZUBAIR, BASRAH, IRAQ

Background: ‘Disabling’ Hearing Loss (DHL) in children can be defined as the loss of hearing that exceeds 30 decibels (dB) in the better-hearing ear. About 80% of the people with the DHL live in the middle- and low-income areas. Objectives: determining the prevalence of hearing impairment at school entry for children in Al-Zubair, Basra, Iraq, along with some associated risk factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional study had been conducted through a multi-stage systematic random sampling for 6 of 12 Primary Health Care centers at Al-Zubair city, Basrah, Iraq, from the 1st of September 2021 to the end of October 2021. 324 children were undergoing screening audiometry. Results: the study involved 324 students aged 6-7 years; 52.5% of them were males and 47.5% were females; 33 children failed the screening test; hearing impairments were proved in 26 of them. The prevalence of hearing impairment is 80/1000. Conductive hearing loss was the main type (80%). A significant association has been found between the hearing loss and some of the risk factors, like family history and natal history. Conclusion: Preventable risk factors significantly contributed to hearing impairment in preschool children, highlighting the need for targeted programs to address them.