PREVALENCE AND ETIOLOGY OF PROFOUND DEAFNESS IN THE GENERAL-POPULATION OF SICHUAN, CHINA

People with profound deafness were surveyed in the general population of Sichuan. The results showed that the overall prevalence in Sichuan was 0.186 per cent (236/126 876) of the general population, males 0.21 2 per cent (135/63 741), females 0.159 per cent (101/63 135) (p less-t han-or-equal-to 0.05). Two hundred and fifteen (92 per cent) cases wer e older than 10 years. but 227 (96 per cent) lost their hearing under the age of 10 years, 192 (80 per cent) under five years. and 104 (44 p er cent) were congenital. There was no significant difference in preva lence of deafness between the population located in urban and rural ar eas. However, the population living in the flat area and mountain area had a much higher prevalence than that of the hill people (p less-tha n-or-equal-to 0.05). Amongst the nationalities investigated, there exi sted significant differences in prevalence. Both the population of the Hui and the Lisu presented a significantly higher prevalence of profo und deafness than that of the others. In aetiology, genetic factors ma y account for 43 per cent (101/236) of the cases, amongst which, autos omal recessive (AR) deafness is 92 per cent (95/104) and autosomal dom inant (AD) 5.4 per cent. Environmental factors were thought to be resp onsible for 35.6 per cent (84/236) of cases, including infectious dise ases (31 per cent), ototoxic antibiotics (2.6 per cent), injury (1.7 p er cent), and asphyxia (0.4 per cent). The number of cases of unknown origin were 20.3 per cent. It is suggested that, in China, the importa nce of genetic factors in hearing impairment should be emphasized. In addition, infectious diseases and ototoxicity play an important role i n causing deafness.