Aural hygiene practices among underprivileged children of Delhi.
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Date
2015-11
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Abstract
Background. Though ear hygiene is important for proper
hearing, it is usually neglected. Improper ear care practices
may have serious consequences such as loss of hearing. In
childhood, loss of hearing may affect learning and development.
There is scarcity of information on ear care practices in the
community in India. We aimed to ascertain the magnitude of
problems related to aural hygiene and assess ear care practices
among children of schoolgoing age in a resettlement colony of
Delhi.
Methods. A cross-sectional community-based survey was
done among 1398 children 5–14 years of age. The houses
were selected by systematic random sampling and all eligible
children in the selected house were interviewed and examined.
The data were analysed using SPSS version 12 and chi-square
test was used to ascertain significance between two variables.
Results. Almost two-thirds (60%; 834) of the children
gave a history of themselves or an elder cleaning the ear using
unhealthy methods. Earbuds were used by 21.7% (304) of
children. Match and broomsticks were used for cleaning by
18.3% (256) and 3% (43) of children, respectively. One
hundred and fifty-nine children (11.3%) were applying oil to
clean the ear canal. Ear cleaning with unhealthy means was
significantly higher (56% v. 44%, p<0.03) among children
belonging to low socioeconomic strata. There was a significant
association between unhealthy ear cleaning practices and
middle ear infection (p<0.001).
Conclusion. A majority of children practised unhealthy/
not recommended methods for cleaning their ear. There is a
need to raise awareness about healthy ear cleaning practices in
the community.
Natl Med J India 2015;28:280–1
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Bhat A. , Ray T.K., Vibha, Sahni J.K. Aural hygiene practices among underprivileged children of Delhi. National Medical Journal of India. 2015 Nov-Dec; 28(6):280-281.