Dr Jun Jean Ong1,4, Miss Libby Smith1,2, MIss Jessica Xu1,2, Associate Professor Gehan Roberts1,2,3, Associate Professor Valerie Sung1,2,3
1The Royal Children’s Hospital, Centre for Community Child Health, Melbourne, Australia, 2Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, 3The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne, Australia, 4Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, International Medical University, , Malaysia
Introduction:
Deaf and hard-of hearing (DHH) children often experience emotional behavioural difficulties (EBD). The impact of unilateral and mild bilateral hearing loss (U&MBHL) on children’s emotion and behaviour are unclear. We aimed to compare emotional behavioural outcomes of children with U&MBHL with their peers with moderate to profound bilateral hearing loss (M-PBHL); and explore factors associated with EBD among children with U&MBHL.
Methods:
Data from 339 DHH children (169 U&MBHL and 170 M-PBHL) 5-12 years, enrolled in a population-based longitudinal child hearing databank, were analysed. Parent reports of family demographics, early development, medical and audiological characteristics, quality of life and parents’ psychological distress were documented. Child emotion/behaviour was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), with cut-off scores (corresponding to top 10% band) based on Australian normative data used to identify children with possible EBD. Differences in EBD outcomes among groups and association with various factors were analysed using chi-square and logistic regression.
Results:
Children with U&MBHL just as likely as children with M-PBHL (18.3% vs 20.6%) to experience EBD, with hyperactivity and poor prosocial behaviour reported as the predominant symptoms in both groups. Mean EBD scores of both groups were higher than normative population mean scores. For children with U&MBHL, concurrent health condition was a significant risk factor for EBD (OR=1.67; 95% CI 1.29-2.18) and EBD was strongly correlated with high parental psychological distress and poorer child health-related quality of life. Early developmental concerns, laterality/severity of hearing loss were not associated with EBD.
Conclusion:
DHH children with U&MBHL are just as likely as those with M-PBHL to experience EBD. Access to services and support for children with U&MBHL is justified to prevent EBD and possibly improve quality of life and parental mental well-being.
Biography:
Dr Jean Ong is a developmental paediatrician in Malaysia. After completing her training as an international fellow at Royal Children’s Hospital, she has continued with her clinical practice and academic work with a medical university back home. However, despite the distance, she continues to pursue her interest in research on childhood hearing loss with the team at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Email: ongjunjean@imu.edu.my