Ayukawa Hannah, Bruneau Suzanne, Proulx Jean-François, Macarthur Judy, Baxter James
Hearing and Otitis Program, Tulattavik Health Centre, Kuujjuaq, Quebec.
Int J Circumpolar Health. 2004;63 Suppl 2:312-4. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v63i0.17926.
Chronic otitis media (COM) and associated hearing loss is a frequent problem for many Inuit children in Canada. In this study, we evaluated individuals aged 12-16 years living in Inukjuak, to determine the prevalence of middle ear disease and hearing loss, and the effect of hearing loss on academic performance.
Otological examination, hearing test, medical and school file review were performed in November 1997. 88 individuals were seen.
Otological examination revealed maximal scarring in 1.8%, minimal scarring in 34.9%, normal eardrums in 49.1% and chronic otitis media in 16.9%. There were 62 individuals whose ear exams could be directly compared with a previous exam done in 1987. Of those, there were three ears that had developed COM and 4/13 ears with COM in 1987 that had healed. Hearing tests found bilateral normal hearing in 80% (PTA <20dB), unilateral loss in 15% and bilateral loss in 5%. Hearing loss was associated with poorer academic performance in Language (p<.05). A similar trend was found in Mathematics but not in Inuttitut.
Chronic otitis media remains a significant problem among the Inuit, with a prevalence of 16.9% in individuals aged 12-16 years. One in five in this age group has hearing loss, and this hearing loss impacts on academic performance.
慢性中耳炎（COM）及相关听力损失是加拿大许多因纽特儿童常见的问题。在本研究中，我们评估了居住在伊努朱阿克年龄在12至16岁的个体，以确定中耳疾病和听力损失的患病率，以及听力损失对学业成绩的影响。
1997年11月进行了耳科检查、听力测试、医疗和学校档案审查。共检查了88人。
耳科检查显示，鼓膜瘢痕严重者占1.8%，轻度瘢痕者占34.9%，鼓膜正常者占49.1%，慢性中耳炎患者占16.9%。有62人的耳部检查结果可直接与1987年之前的检查结果进行比较。其中，有3只耳朵患上了慢性中耳炎，1987年患慢性中耳炎的13只耳朵中有4只已经痊愈。听力测试发现，80%的人双耳听力正常（纯音听阈<20dB），15%的人单侧听力损失，5%的人双侧听力损失。听力损失与语言学科较差的学业成绩相关（p<0.05）。数学学科也发现了类似趋势，但因纽特语学科未发现此趋势。
慢性中耳炎在因纽特人中仍然是一个严重问题，在12至16岁个体中的患病率为16.9%。该年龄组中五分之一的人有听力损失，且这种听力损失会影响学业成绩。
