Chikuse Enittah, Jacobs Derek, Banda Angella, Toman Julia, Vallario Jenna, Curtis Danielle, Porterfield J Zachary
ABC Hearing Clinic and Training Centre, African Bible College, Area 47, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Audiol Res. 2025 Apr 6;15(2):38. doi: 10.3390/audiolres15020038.
Hearing-related disease is a significant cause of disability worldwide. In resource-limited settings, prevention and early detection are critical for preventing severe disease. Understanding what a population knows and believes with regards to hearing health can be critical in identifying knowledge gaps and developing targeted interventions.
To assess community awareness of hearing health and otitis media (OM) treatment, both modern and traditional, to inform educational programs.
A retrospective review of clinical records from 52 patients (aged 1-79 years) diagnosed with OM during a 3-day hearing health clinic in Kasungu district, Malawi was conducted. Patients diagnosed with OM during the clinic were invited to provide additional details about their hearing health. Surveys contained open-ended questions to assess knowledge and beliefs regarding the cause of their infection and therapies they had previously used for treatment, including home remedies and prescribed medications from allopathic providers or traditional healers. A WHO adapted survey on hearing knowledge was also administered.
Hearing loss was identified in 60% of participants. Otoscopy revealed either bilateral or unilateral drainage in 69% of participants and perforation in 73%. Confidence in understanding the causes and treatments of OM was voiced by 60% of participants and 54% had used home remedies as treatment. Of the 11 home remedies used, none aligned with modern medical practice, and only two were recommended by local herbalists.
Hearing-related disease contributes significantly to global disability, particularly in resource-limited settings. Educational campaigns to improve hearing health knowledge offer low-cost yet impactful solutions and implementation via partnerships with community leaders and traditional healers can be critical to addressing hearing health challenges. The use of nonantibiotic antimicrobials should be explored further, as these are low-cost and readily available. However, therapeutic alliance between patients and healthcare providers remains crucial.
听力相关疾病是全球致残的重要原因。在资源有限的环境中，预防和早期检测对于预防严重疾病至关重要。了解人群对听力健康的知晓情况和看法对于识别知识差距以及制定针对性干预措施可能至关重要。
评估社区对听力健康以及现代和传统中耳炎（OM）治疗方法的认识，以为教育项目提供信息。
对在马拉维卡松古区为期3天的听力健康诊所中诊断为OM的52名患者（年龄1 - 79岁）的临床记录进行回顾性分析。邀请在诊所被诊断为OM的患者提供有关其听力健康的更多详细信息。调查包含开放式问题，以评估他们对感染原因的知识和看法以及他们之前用于治疗的疗法，包括家庭疗法以及来自对抗疗法提供者或传统治疗师的处方药。还进行了世界卫生组织改编的听力知识调查。
60%的参与者存在听力损失。耳镜检查显示69%的参与者有双侧或单侧引流，73%有穿孔。60%的参与者表示对理解OM的病因和治疗有信心，54%曾使用家庭疗法进行治疗。在使用的11种家庭疗法中，没有一种与现代医学实践相符，只有两种得到当地草药医生的推荐。
听力相关疾病对全球残疾有重大影响，特别是在资源有限的环境中。开展提高听力健康知识的教育活动提供了低成本但有效的解决方案，通过与社区领袖和传统治疗师合作实施对于应对听力健康挑战可能至关重要。应进一步探索使用非抗生素抗菌药物，因为这些药物成本低且易于获得。然而，患者与医疗服务提供者之间的治疗联盟仍然至关重要。
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