Impact of socio-economic status on ear health and behaviour in children: A cross-sectional study in the capital of India.
INTRODUCTION
Socio-economic differences in the society have been a major cause for the discrepancy in disease and behavioural patterns in society. With 360 million people (32 million children) in the world suffering from disabling hearing losses, it is imperative to gain an insight into the impact of differences in socio-economic strata on children's ear health issues, their knowledge of ear ailments and attitude towards ear health so as to suggest policies addressing ear health issues.


METHODS
The study was carried out in two different school types namely government schools and private schools which represent wide difference in the socio-economic status of the students studying there. A questionnaire was administered to students aged 10 to 13 years to assess the current ear care practices, knowledge regarding ear ailments, attitude towards hearing and their adaptability to reform.


RESULTS
The children belonging to higher socio-economic status were found to have lesser incidence of ear diseases and ear abuse, more referrals for ear ailments, lesser indulgence in risky ear health behaviours, better knowledge pool, positive attitude towards ear health and hearing and were more adaptable to change for better hearing.


CONCLUSION
Structures of social disparity are essential determinants of ear health acting both independently and through their influence on behavioural determinants of health. Increasing awareness of ear health issues at the school level itself should be one of the goals of health care providers.
['Gupta|Divya|D|', 'Gulati|Achal|A|', 'Gupta|Umang|U|']
D000293:Adolescent D002648:Child D002652:Child Behavior D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D004427:Ear Diseases D005260:Female D015438:Health Behavior D054624:Health Status Disparities D006309:Hearing D006801:Humans D007194:India D008297:Male D012309:Risk-Taking D012923:Social Class D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Socio-economic status Ear health Hearing loss Ear diseases Health seeking behaviour Noise-induced hearing loss