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CC BY 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 28(02): e188-e195
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1770729
Original Research

Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Hearing Loss Among Primary Care Physicians in the Public Health Sector of Mauritius

Taslima Foondun 
1   Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
2   Speech Therapy and Audiology Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, Mauritius
,
Lidia Pottas 
1   Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
,
Maggi Soer 
1   Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
› Author Affiliations
Funding This study was approved by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Mauritius, and the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, South Africa (HUM004/0921).
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Abstract

Introduction Primary care physicians are essential first points of contact for patients with hearing loss. Thus, knowledge of hearing loss and related aspects is essential to ensure the optimal management of individuals with suspected hearing loss.

Objective This study aimed to determine the knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss among primary care physicians in the public health sector in Mauritius.

Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive cohort study, 320 primary care physicians completed an online questionnaire adapted from previous questionnaires on knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and cross-sectional analyses.

Results Primary care physicians showed limited knowledge of hearing loss in areas such as early identification and intervention, professionals responsible for hearing assessments, and hearing tests used for assessing hearing sensitivity. However, the responses also showed positive attitudes toward hearing loss. Significant associations between knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss were obtained regarding the type of physician, length of practice, and department posted in. Ear, nose, and throat specialists, as well as pediatricians, demonstrated significantly higher scores for both knowledge of and positive attitudes toward hearing loss.

Conclusions The findings highlight a strong need for ongoing medical education to spread awareness about hearing loss among primary care physicians in the public health sector of Mauritius.

Keywords

primary care physicians - public health sector - hearing loss - knowledge - attitudes

Note

Part of this manuscript has been presented as a poster to the 8th International Conference on Public Health virtually on the 29th of July 2022 organized by The International Institute of Knowledge Management, Sri Lanka. Part of this manuscript has also been presented orally to the virtual international conference on disability certification of persons with hearing and speech impairment, organized by the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysuru India on the 27th of August 2022.


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Publication History

Received: 24 February 2023

Accepted: 22 May 2023

Article published online:
06 October 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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