Maternal knowledge and views regarding early hearing detection and intervention in children aged 0–5 years at a semi-urban primary care clinic in South Africa

South African Journal of Communication Disorders

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Maternal knowledge and views regarding early hearing detection and intervention in children aged 0–5 years at a semi-urban primary care clinic in South Africa
 
Creator Ehlert, Katerina Coetzer, Celeste
 
Subject Audiology early hearing detection and intervention; maternal knowledge; maternal views; primary care clinic; hearing loss; developing country.
Description Background: South Africans have an increasing burden of hearing loss, especially in low-income rural areas. Limited information is available regarding caregivers’ knowledge and views regarding infant hearing loss, which is essential for the successful implementation of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programmes.Objectives: The main aim of the study was to describe the knowledge and views of mothers with children aged between 0 and 5 years old regarding hearing screening, risk factors, symptoms of hearing loss, and intervention options for hearing loss.Method: A survey was employed at a primary care clinic to gain insight into the maternal views on hearing loss and early intervention services for children aged 0–5 years old.Results: The majority (83.2%) of the mothers believed that hearing can be tested at birth, 90.7% believed in the biomedical model of intervention which is based on cure, prevention, and pathology as opposed to traditional or alternative medicinal beliefs, and 95.3% indicated that they would seek medical attention if they noticed symptoms of hearing loss. Consequences of hearing loss, such as academic, communication and social problems, were indicated by 65.4% of mothers.Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that although cultural beliefs regarding superstitious causes of hearing loss and use of traditional medicine exist, satisfactory maternal knowledge regarding detection and intervention for hearing loss is present. Maternal views are favourable and a general willingness to participate in EHDI programmes was present. This study advocates for the implementation of EHDI programmes at all primary healthcare clinics across South Africa.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor A Khambule, M Mathoma & N Mathebula for assistance with data collection
Date 2020-07-21
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey/quantitative
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajcd.v67i1.681
 
Source South African Journal of Communication Disorders; Vol 67, No 1 (2020); 8 pages 2225-4765 0379-8046
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/681/1319 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/681/1318 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/681/1324 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/681/1317
 
Coverage Gauteng North — Mothers with children aged 0-5 years
Rights Copyright (c) 2020 Katerina Ehlert, Celeste Coetzer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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