Parents and caregivers knowledge, awareness and attitude toward childhood hearing loss in western district of KSA

Abstract

Background: Depending on the findings of the hearing test, a kid may be diagnosed with hearing loss if they can't hear sounds below a specific volume level in either one ear (known as unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). The most basic threshold is generally 15 - 20 (dB), which is approximately equivalent to the sound of leaves rustling or people speaking. To assess caregivers and parents' awareness and knowledge about hearing loss, its causes, its effects in children, and their attitude toward childhood audiology services in the western district of SA. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional conducted in western district in Saudi Arabia. A pre-designed online questionnaire covers study objectives. The "Microsoft Office Excel Software" was used to organize data on the PC, analyzed with (SPSS) version 20, where it was statistically analyzed. Results: Out of 1618 participants, most study participants were females 72.1% and 29% aged between 20- 30 years old. 84.6% of parents reported that babies may be born with a lost sense of hearing. Regarding causes of loss of hearing in kids, 57.8% reported the infection of (CNS) can led to loss of hearing in kids, 38.6% reported new-born infections, 32.1% reported maternal infection during pregnancy. Conclusion: in conclusion, this report highlighted the importance of generating and maintaining appropriate health education programs to enhance parents' and caregivers' awareness of child hearing problems.