Kotby M N, Tawfik S, Aziz A, Taha H
Phoniatric Unit, ENT Department, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2008;60(2):58-63. doi: 10.1159/000114646. Epub 2008 Jan 31.
This presentation of the public health impact of hearing impairment highlights the important elements of interaction between the disability and community.
Retrospective study to identify the size of the problem of hearing loss, illustrating not only the magnitude but also the serious effect of the lack of reliable data concerning this matter. It highlights the challenges met within a mid-economy community regarding the handling of the impact of the disability. The Egyptian data is given as an example of the situation in a mid-economy community.
A brief introduction of some epidemiological factors of hearing impairment is presented including the size of the problem in Egypt. Data of the neonatal hearing screening program of the Audiology Unit, Ain Shams University, is presented. The impact of the disability is then discussed in relation to the age of onset and the degree and type of hearing loss. This is followed by the description of the nature and effect of the disability in the different age groups. A discussion of the various factors that may modify the capability of the community to deal with such disability follows. This includes various economic indices with their possible limitations on the part of the community. Such a briefing illustrates the challenges met in the rehabilitation of the deaf and the hearing-impaired in a developing mid-economy country. The broad lines of the management of the problem both at the prophylactic as well as the rehabilitative levels are discussed. A final remark on recommendations and possible future development in a developing country is presented.
关于听力障碍对公共卫生影响的这一介绍突出了残疾与社区之间相互作用的重要因素。
进行回顾性研究以确定听力损失问题的规模，不仅说明其严重程度，还说明缺乏有关此事的可靠数据所产生的严重影响。它突出了中等经济水平社区在应对残疾影响方面遇到的挑战。以埃及的数据为例说明中等经济水平社区的情况。
介绍了听力障碍的一些流行病学因素，包括埃及的问题规模。展示了艾因夏姆斯大学听力科新生儿听力筛查项目的数据。然后讨论了残疾影响与发病年龄、听力损失程度和类型的关系。接着描述了不同年龄组中残疾的性质和影响。随后讨论了可能改变社区应对此类残疾能力的各种因素。这包括各种经济指标及其在社区方面可能存在的局限性。这样的介绍说明了在一个中等经济水平的发展中国家对聋人和听力受损者进行康复时遇到的挑战。讨论了在预防和康复层面处理该问题的大致方针。最后对发展中国家的建议和可能的未来发展作了评论。
