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12th Annual Coalition for Global Hearing Health
January 20-22, 2022 • Fully Virtual
Coalition for Global Hearing Health 2022. Virtual Global Conference. 20 - 22 January 2022. 14h00 - 17h30 (CET)

Abstract Details

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10/25/2016  |   11:15 AM - 12:15 PM   |  BGPOP Building 402/403/404

Hearing Loss and Classroom Acoustics in the Philippines: A Pilot Study

Objective: This paper reports on a school hearing screening program in a sample of primary aged public school children in the Philippines. Also discussed are classroom acoustics in a sample of primary schools. Design: A convenience sample of school children were assessed with otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure tone audiometry. The acoustic characteristics of a convenience sample of classrooms within the schools undertaking hearing screening were assessed with the “ListenApp for schools” iPad application. Study Sample: A total of 523 school children and the acoustics of 58 classrooms were assessed. Results: Middle ear involvement was seen in 24% of ears in this sample. Forty seven children (9%) of the sample failed hearing screening at 35dbHL, with the prevalence of mild hearing loss and moderate or worse hearing loss at 5.9% and 3.1%, respectively, in those who failed screening. The intrusive noise, reverberation time, and occupied noise levels of Filipino classrooms were all very high when compared with measures in classrooms in high income countries. The vast majority of Filipino classrooms failed to meet international standards. Conclusions: Ear disease and hearing loss appear comparatively high in primary aged school children in the Philippines. Such disease and hearing loss often go undetected because of a lack of hearing screening programs. When combined, poor classroom acoustics lack of screening are likely to result in poor academic outcomes for hearing-impaired Filipino children.

  • Gain understanding of the prevalence of hearing loss in Filipino primary school children
  • Gain understanding of classroom acoustics in Filipino primary schools and the academic implications for students
  • Compare and contrast hearing loss prevalence and classroom acoustics in the Philippines to higher-income countries

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John Newall (POC,Primary Presenter), Macquarie University, john.newall@mq.edu.au;
John Newall completed an undergraduate degree in psychology, then a master’s degree in Clinical Audiology whilst concurrently working as a research assistant at the National Acoustic Laboratories Australia. Subsequently he worked in the audiology department of Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, completing his tenure there as Deputy Head/Senior Clinician. John currently works as a lecturer within the Audiology section at Macquarie University, convening the advanced hearing aid, audiological rehabilitation, advanced paediatric, and public health units. John owns and operates a private practice located in Westmead Private Hospital providing; audiological assessment and rehabilitation to adult and paediatric clients. John is the Master of Clinical Audiology Program Coordinator at Macquarie University. John’s current research areas include; the epidemiology of hearing loss in the developing world, hearing rehabilitation in the developing world, classroom acoustics, and objective measures of tinnitus.
      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -


      AAA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exists.

Gareth Hoyle (Co-Author), Audioclinic, gareth.w.hoyle@gmail.com;
Gareth completed his Master of Clinical Audiology at Macquarie University in 2015 having completed a Masters project on Ear disease in Filipino primary school children. Gareth now works as a full time clinician with a private hearing rehabilitation company.
      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -


      AAA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exists.