I. Bastos et al., MIDDLE-EAR DISEASE AND HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN NORTHERN TANZANIA - A PREVALENCE STUDY OF SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE MOSHI AND MONDULI DISTRICTS, International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 32(1), 1995, pp. 1-12
A total of 854 schoolchildren from one urban and one rural district in
northern Tanzania were examined for the presence of middle ear pathol
ogy and hearing loss by means of pneumotoscopy and screening audiometr
y (air conduction). The prevalence of chronic otitis media (COM) was 1
.6%, with no difference between urban and rural children. Scarred and
sclerotic tympanic membranes were found in 10.9% of urban children and
in 15.1% of rural children, the difference being significant. Hearing
loss within;he speech frequency range in all the children studied was
found in 37% of the urban children and in 18% of the rural children.
However, the prevalence of hearing loss above 30 dB HL was 3% in both
districts. High frequency loss was significantly more common among urb
an than among rural children. Undetected severe hearing impairment/dea
fness was found in three children in the rural district, while none wa
s found in the urban district.