Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Hearing Loss Among Primary Care Physicians in the Public Health Sector of Mauritius.

 Primary care physicians are essential first points of contact for patients with hearing loss. Thus, knowledge of hearing loss and related aspects is essential to ensure the optimal management of individuals with suspected hearing loss.  This study aimed to determine the knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss among primary care physicians in the public health sector in Mauritius.

The public healthcare sector of Mauritius: knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss among community health workers.

Mauritius does not have community health workers trained in identifying risk factors for hearing loss or in referring patients for diagnostic testing. It is crucial to gather information about the knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss among community health workers before involving them in the identification and intervention of hearing loss in Mauritius. To describe the knowledge of and attitudes toward hearing loss among community health workers in Mauritius.

Speech perception in noise in children with learning difficulties: A scoping review.

Background: Children with learning difficulties (LD) face multiple challenges in classrooms settings while having to meet various auditory demands, such as understanding verbal instructions in the presence of background noise. These challenges pose a risk for academic failure, underachievement, and underemployment. Well-developed skills regarding speech perception in noise promote learning, communication, and academic success.

The use of the to identify auditory processing disorders in South African children: a comparative study.

Objective: Development of the (FS) has created a cost-effective, accessible form of assessment through tele-audiology. As accessibility to reliable, cost-effective assessment of auditory processing (AP) skills is limited in South Africa (SA), this study aims to establish whether there is correlation between the FS and traditional tests of AP viz. Frequency Pattern and Dichotic Digits Test, and to establish its relevance to the SA population.

Effects of language experience on selective auditory attention and speech-in-noise perception among English second language learners: Preliminary findings.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of language experience on selective auditory attention and speech-in-noise perception in English Second Language (ESL) learners aged seven to eight years.

Method: A quantitative, descriptive, comparative cross-sectional research design was used to determine the effect of age of exposure to English on the selective auditory attention abilities and speech-in-noise perception skills of 40 children with normal hearing in first or second grade (aged seven to eight years). The control group comprised of 20 English first language (EFL) learners (mean age = 7.

Validity of Automated Threshold Audiometry: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the validity (test-retest reliability and accuracy) of automated threshold audiometry compared with the gold standard of manual threshold audiometry was conducted.

Design: A systematic literature review was completed in peer-reviewed databases on automated compared with manual threshold audiometry. Subsequently a meta-analysis was conducted on the validity of automated audiometry.

Deaf or hard of hearing children in Saudi Arabia: Status of early intervention services.

Objective: This study aims to determine the status of early intervention services provided to children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their parents/caregivers from birth to five years of age at two main state hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, based on their parents' perceptions.

Method: A descriptive quantitative research design was used to determine the status of early intervention services for deaf or hard of hearing children in Saudi Arabia based on their parents' perceptions. Semistructured interviews based on a questionnaire were conducted with 60 research participants from two main state hospitals where early detection and intervention services are provided.

Predictors of pediatric cochlear implantation outcomes in South Africa.

Objective: To identify and describe predictors of pediatric cochlear implantation outcomes in a South African population.

Methods: A retrospective study of 301 pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients from five CI programs was conducted and cross-sectional outcome data were added at the time of data collection. Twenty potential prognostic factors were identified from the retrospective dataset, including demographical, CI, risk and family factors.

Audiology practice management in South Africa: What audiologists know and what they should know.

Background: In future, the South African Department of Health aims to purchase services from accredited private service providers. Successful private audiology practices can assist to address issues of access, equity and quality of health services. It is not sufficient to be an excellent clinician, since audiology practices are businesses that must also be managed effectively.

Comparison of the South African Spondaic and CID W-1 wordlists for measuring speech recognition threshold.

Background: The home language of most audiologists in South Africa is either English or Afrikaans, whereas most South Africans speak an African language as their home language. The use of an English wordlist, the South African Spondaic (SAS) wordlist, which is familiar to the English Second Language (ESL) population, was developed by the author for testing the speech recognition threshold (SRT) of ESL speakers.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the pure-tone average (PTA)/SRT correlation results of ESL participants when using the SAS wordlist (list A) and the CID W-1 spondaic wordlist (list B - less familiar; list C - more familiar CID W-1 words).

Validity of automated threshold audiometry: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the validity (test-retest reliability and accuracy) of automated threshold audiometry compared with the gold standard of manual threshold audiometry was conducted.

Design: A systematic literature review was completed in peer-reviewed databases on automated compared with manual threshold audiometry. Subsequently a meta-analysis was conducted on the validity of automated audiometry.

Predicting hearing loss from otoacoustic emissions using an artificial neural network.

Normal and impaired pure tone thresholds (PTTs) were predicted from distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) using a feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) with a back-propagation training algorithm. The ANN used a map of present and absent DPOAEs from eight DPgrams, (2f1-f2 = 406-4031 Hz) to predict PTTs at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz.