Is There a Silent Hearing Loss Among Children in Jordan?

This study measured the prevalence of hearing loss among school children in Jordan. A random sample of 1649 children (990 males and 659 females) was collected from randomly chosen 40 schools in Amman. Screening was conducted between November 2010 and October 2014. Otoscopic examination, tympanometry, and audiometry were used for screening. Based on the screening results, 5.5% presented with hearing loss. As for gender differences, 50 males compared to 40 females presented with hearing loss. There were also 50 children who presented with unilateral hearing loss compared to 40 who presented with bilateral hearing loss. Countries that provide high hearing health services have a low prevalence of hearing loss compared to those who do not have enough hearing health services. Therefore, it is very important to put hearing screening and early intervention for school children on every school's agenda at the beginning of each school year.