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Children’s hearing loss
Elisabeth Jackson
+Why is it important?
Hearing loss can lead to linguistic, social and learning
difficulties and behavioural problems in school, which
reduce educational achievements that have life-long
consequences for employment, income, and social success
(Williams & Jacobs 2009).
+Findings
Comparative data from 2004–05 shows that Indigenous
children were 3 times as likely to have reported ear or
hearing problems compared with other Australian children.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Survey (NATSIHS) confirms the associations between the
presence of ear or hearing problems and social conditions.
+Implications
The prevalence of chronic ear disease is significantly higher
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children than other
children in self reported surveys.
Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media occurs in some Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander communities at levels described by
the World Health Organization as a massive public health
problem requiring urgent attention (WHO 2004).
