Knowledge and Attitudes of Parents towards Childhood Hearing Loss and Pediatric Hearing Services in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Muhammed Ayas and Hakam Yaseen
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Muhammed Ayas: Audiology Unit, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah 72772, United Arab Emirates
Hakam Yaseen: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 72772, United Arab Emirates

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-8

Abstract: The successful implementation of pediatric audiology services depends on parental engagement and support. It is essential to analyze the gaps in knowledge level and attitude of the parents in United Arab Emirates (UAE), towards pediatric hearing loss and pediatric audiology services. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of parents in Sharjah, UAE.A cross-sectional survey was administered to 295 parents in a tertiary care hospital setting. The self-reported questionnaire consisted of 26 items. 34.2% of the parents ascertaining good knowledge and 65.8% reported poor knowledge regarding the various factors related to the childhood hearing loss. Further, 86.2% of parents reported positive attitudes regarding accessing pediatric audiology services. A significant association was found between age groups, educational status, and knowledge levels. The study highlights the poor knowledge demonstrated by parents in the UAE regarding hearing loss and its associated risk factors. Findings outline the critical need in the region to enhance parental awareness. More health promotion activities and community outreach campaigns are necessary to increase the uptake of pediatric audiology services in the region.

Keywords: parental attitudes; parental knowledge; hearing loss; pediatric audiology; awareness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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