Effect of Ear Health, Care Practices, and Hearing Loss on Academic Performance among Male Adolescents in Residential Schools: A cross-sectional study in Eastern India

TL;DR

This study found that ear health issues and poor ear care practices are linked to lower academic performance in male adolescents in Indian residential schools.

Contribution

The study establishes a novel link between chronic ear morbidity and hearing loss with academic performance in a residential adolescent population.

Findings

43% of participants had ear morbidity, with 85% of these cases being bilateral.

Hearing loss was detected in 5% of participants, and it was strongly correlated with lower academic performance.

Self-ear cleaning with cotton buds was common, and exposure to loud noises and physical trauma were also linked to worse academic outcomes.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between ear health, ear care practices, and academic performance among male adolescents in residential schools.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 684 male adolescents residing in residential schools in Deoghar, Jharkhand, India, during World Hearing Day 2023. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, ear care practices, and academic performance. Comprehensive ear examinations and pure tone audiometry were performed to assess ear morbidity and hearing thresholds.

Ear morbidity was identified in 43% of participants, with bilateral involvement in 85% of these cases. Ear-related symptoms were reported by 26.3% of participants, including ear pain (46.1%) and hearing difficulty (37.2%). Chronic ear morbidity was present in 36.5% of the cohort. Hearing loss was detected in 5% of participants, with 4.6% experiencing mild and 0.4% moderate hearing loss; among these, 74.1% had bilateral involvement. Self-ear cleaning was commonly practiced (93%), predominantly using cotton buds (85.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that inserting substances into the ear (Spearman's rho [ρ] = -0.095; P = 0.014), exposure to loud firecrackers (ρ = -0.095; P = 0.014), being slapped hard (ρ = -0.102; P = 0.008), presence of chronic ear morbidity (ρ = -0.185; P <0.001), and hearing loss (ρ = -0.292; P <0.001) were significantly and negatively correlated with academic performance.

The study reveals a high prevalence of ear morbidities, which were associated with lower academic performance among the study population. Regular screenings, educational interventions and timely healthcare are crucial to protect this vulnerable group.

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