Middle Ear Disease and Hearing Loss in School-Aged Indigenous Western Australian Children

Abstract This study investigated the occurrence of middle ear disease (MED) and hearing loss across age and season in urban and regional indigenous primary school children (aged 3 to 15 years) from Western Australia. It compares the occurrence of MED and concomitant hearing loss in the urban and regional cohorts. Tympanometry and audiometry were used to determine ear health and hearing status. MED (Type B and C tympanograms) was diagnosed in 125 (30.64%) out of 408 urban participants and 68 (15.52%) out of 438 regional participants. The urban cohort of participants had a significantly higher proportion of MED than the regional cohort. There was a significant negative relationship between age and MED where the disease was highest in the youngest age group in both cohorts. The study found there was a seasonal influence on the occurrence of MED in the regional cohort but not in the urban cohort. Hearing loss concurrent with MED was detected in 71 (60.17%) out of 118 urban participants and 41 (71.93%) out of the 57 regional participants. The study informs health and educational authorities about the need for ongoing screening for MED and associated hearing loss. Implications of these high proportions and future directions are discussed.