Introduction: Hearing loss is defined as the partial or total reduction in auditory acuity. Hearing loss can cause detrimental effects on speech, language, developmental, educational, and cognitive outcomes in children. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of hearing loss among children visiting the Department of Otolaryngology and HNS of a tertiary care centre.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among children visiting the Department of Otolaryngology and HNS between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022 after obtaining ethical approval. All the patients who underwent pure tone evaluation were included in the study. A convenience sampling technique was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval.
Results: Among 3051 children, 328 (10.75%) (9.65-11.85, 95% Confidence Interval) had hearing loss. Among children with hearing loss, 170 (51.83%) of children were female. The mean age of children with hearing loss was 13.31±3.39 years. The mean pure tone average among 452 ears with hearing loss was 44.60±17.71 dB. The commonest degree of hearing loss was mild hearing loss 266 (58.85%), and the commonest type was conductive hearing loss 310 (68.58%). Among children with hearing loss, 124 (37.80%) had bilateral hearing loss.
Conclusions: The prevalence of hearing loss among children visiting the Department of Otolaryngology and HNS was found to be lower than similar studies done in similar settings.
Keywords: audiology; audiometry; hearing loss; outpatients; prevalence.