Otoacoustic emission assessment of hearing loss prevalence among Ghanaian preschoolers: A cross sectional study

Outcome of otoacoustic emissions assessment among preschool children

  • Sally Mensa-Yawson Ear Nose and Throat Unit, 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
  • Kenneth K.K. Baidoo Ear Nose and Throat Department, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
  • Alhassan Adam Jangu Ear Nose and Throat Department, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
  • Emmanuel D. Kitcher Ear Nose and Throat Department, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
  • Benjamin Abaidoo Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgery, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Keywords: Pre-School children, Otoacoustic Emissions assessment, Refer, Prevalence, Hearing loss

Abstract

Background: Childhood hearing impairment is a health concern which can result in reduced ability to communicate, inability to interpret speech sounds, leading to poor language acquisition, educational disadvantage and social isolation. Early childhood screening for hearing lossenables the detection and management of the condition.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hearing loss among selected preschool children following screening with Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE).
Methods: This study was a cross-sectional investigation of preschool children aged 3 to 5 years. Data collected included demographic information, outcome of otoscopy, and otoacoustic emission assessment (OAE). The data were analysed with IBM SPSS version 21. The ChiSquare test was used to determine the associations between outcomes of the OAE test and the demographic characteristics of participants. Pvalues less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: Six hundred and eleven (611) preschool children from four schools were examined. The mean age was 3.8 ± 0.8 years. Out of the 1,222 ears examined, 89.9% passed the DPOAE test. Otoscopic exams showed 64.8% of right ears and 68.6% of left ears were normal, while 35.0% and 31.4% had impacted wax, respectively. One child had a foreign body in the right ear. For both ears, no significant sex differences were observed (p = 0.427 and 0.862). The prevalence of failed OAE tests in both ears was 4.4%. There was an association between age and
outcome of OAE assessment for both right and left ears (p = 0.001 and 0.014, respectively).
Conclusion: The Prevalence of failed OAE test bilaterally of the preschool children was 4.4%. Age was associated with the outcome of the OAE assessment.

Published
2025-12-15
Issue
Vol 7 No 2 (2025): Health Sciences Investigations Journal
Section
Original Research Article