Is Health Care Support Associated with Better Educational Achievement in Sensorineural Hearing Impaired Students with Overlooked Recurrent Otitis Media?

Otitis media is an important health care problem in school-age children. Moreover, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis, a major and common cause of otitis media, is increasing among children. Recurrent otitis media may occur without any noticeable symptoms and affect the auditory threshold (AT). Only a few decibles increase in hearing loss does not have the same effect on the hearing ability of individuals with different degrees of hearing loss. With this background in mind, in this study, we aimed to determine whether diagnosis and medical treatment of overlooked recurrent otitis media are associated with the educational achievement of students with sensorineural hearing impairment.
The present study with a pretest-posttest design was conducted on 30 students (aged 12 - 20 years) with bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment, AT above 30 dB HL in the better ear, and recurrent (2 episodes) middle ear infection over 9 months during 2012 - 2014. The participants were examined regularly and received medical treatment when indicated. The mean scores of total average, Persian literature (eg, reading, writing, and spelling), and mathematics were measured to assess the subjects’ educational achievement.
Based on the findings, the total average scores significantly changed from 16.2 to 17.2. Also, the students’ Persian literature (from 16.8 to 18) and mathematics (from 13.8 to 16.7) scores were significantly improved. In addition, AT considerably decreased after the medical intervention (from 73 ± 14.7 to 56.3 ± 13.8 dB HL).
It seems that detection and treatment of overlooked middle ear infection in hearing impaired students, as part of comprehensive health care services, can improve their AT, diminish their hearing disabilities, and ameliorate their educational difficulties; consequently, provision of health care services is associated with better educational achievement.