Pilot Hearing Screening of School-age Children in Lagos, Nigeria

摘要

Objectives. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the prevalence of hearing disorders in school-age children in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods. The study group consisted of 236 children aged 5 to 11 years old. Children were assessed by otoscopy, transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions, and pure-tone audiometry screening. Results. Abnormal audiograms were found in 46 (19.5) of the tested children. Otoscopy data suggest that the most frequent hearing abnormalities were related to cerumen and otitis media. Low agreement (55) was found between otoacoustic emissions outcomes and pure-tone audiometry data. Conclusion. Given the high prevalence of hearing problems in this group of primary school students, there is a strong need to monitor the hearing status of children in this geographical area.