Nomfundo Moroe

Hearing children of Deaf parents: Gender and birth order in the delegation of the interpreter role in culturally Deaf families

Background Culturally, hearing children born to Deaf parents may have to mediate two different positions within the hearing and Deaf cultures. However, there appears to be little written about the experiences of hearing children born to Deaf parents in the South African context. Objective This study sought to investigate the roles of children of Deaf adults (CODAs) as interpreters in Deaf-parented families, more specifically, the influence of gender and birth order in language brokering. Method Two male and eight female participants between the ages of 21 and 40 years were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling strategies. A qualitative design was employed and data were collected using a semi-structured, open-ended interview format. Themes which emerged were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The findings indicated that there was no formal assignment of the interpreter role; however, female children tended to assume the role of interpreter more often than the male children. Also, it appeared as though the older children shifted the responsibility for interpreting to younger siblings. The participants in this study indicated that they interpreted in situations where they felt they were not developmentally or emotionally ready, or in situations which they felt were better suited for older siblings or for siblings of another gender. Conclusion This study highlights a need for the formalisation of interpreting services for Deaf people in South Africa in the form of professional interpreters rather than the reliance on hearing children as interpreters in order to mediate between Deaf and hearing cultures.

The impact of tinnitus on daily activities in adult tinnitus sufferers: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND Few South African studies have been published on the impact of tinnitus on quality of life of tinnitus sufferers, although evidence suggests that a large portion of the general population suffers from tinnitus. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed at describing the effects of tinnitus on the quality of life of the participants as measured by the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). METHOD In a cross-sectional descriptive study design, 27 participants took part in the study by completing a self-administered THI questionnaire and participating in a semi-structured interview. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Descriptively, content analysis was used to organise and convey results from the interviews. RESULTS Participants reported a wide range of perceived disability on the THI. Results ranged from mild to catastrophic, with functional disability being most prominent in all participants, although there were differences when results were analysed according to gender. There was an association between gender and the type of perceived disability, although this was statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). Only 26% of the participants reported no effect on occupational performance and quality of life, with the remainder of the participants reporting a significant effect. Limited effective management strategies were reported to have been implemented - a significant implication for the audiologists. CONCLUSION The results have implications for audiologists as they suggest that audiologists should take a detailed case history to determine the extent to which tinnitus affects the individual. Furthermore, audiologists should administer a scale such as the THI in the management of tinnitus.

The management of occupational noise–induced hearing loss in the mining sector in Africa: A systematic review – 1994 to 2016

Literature into exposure to occupational noise in developing countries suggests that the prevalence of occupational noise–induced hearing loss is still high. There is also evidence that the mining industry is aware of this epidemic; however, the efforts to curb occupational noise–induced hearing loss are currently unsuccessful. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore and document current evidence reflecting trends in the management of occupational noise–induced hearing loss in the mining industry in Africa from 1994 to 2016. A systematic literature review was conducted in line with the Cochrane collaboration guidelines and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Electronic bibliographic databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed and Scopus MEDLINE were searched. A total of 1212 titles and abstracts were identified; of which only nine papers formed part of this study. The results indicated that there is a dearth of research on the management of occupational noise–induced hearing loss in Africa. The limited research on the management of occupational noise–induced hearing loss focuses on some aspects of the hearing conservation programme pillars and not on all the pillars as suggested by some scholars in the field. Furthermore, these studies had small sample sizes thereby, minimizing their generalization. There is therefore a need for more studies on the management of occupational noise–induced hearing loss in the mining sector, as there is evidence to suggest that occupational noise–induced hearing loss in African countries is still on the rise.

Newborn hearing screening protocols and their outcomes: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE To conduct a review of the most current research in objective measures used within newborn hearing screening protocols with the aim of exploring the actual protocols in terms of the types of measures used and their frequency of use within a protocol, as well as their outcomes in terms of sensitivity, specificity, false positives, and false negatives in different countries worldwide. METHODS A systematic literature review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct were used for the literature search. A total of 422 articles were identified, of which only 15 formed part of the current study. The 15 articles that met the studys criteria were reviewed. Pertinent data and findings from the review were tabulated and qualitatively analysed under the following headings: country; objective screening and/or diagnostic measures; details of screening protocol; results (including false positive and negative findings, sensitivity and/or specificity), conclusion and/or recommendations. These tabulated findings were then discussed with conclusions and recommendations offered. RESULTS Findings reported in this paper are based on a qualitative rather than a quantitative analysis of the reviewed data. Generally, findings in this review revealed firstly, that there is a lack of uniformity in protocols adopted within newborn hearing screening. Secondly, many of the screening protocols reviewed consist of two or more tiers or stages, with transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) being most commonly used. Thirdly, DPOAEs appear to be less commonly used when compared to TEOAEs. Lastly, a question around routine inclusion of AABR as part of the NHS protocol remains inconclusively answered. CONCLUSIONS There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the inclusion of AABR within a NHS programme is effective in achieving better hearing screening outcomes. The use of AABR in combination with OAEs within a test-battery approach or cross-check principle to screening is appropriate, but the inclusion of AABR to facilitate appropriate referral for diagnostic assessment needs to be systematically studied.

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss in South African large-scale mines: exploring hearing conservation programmes as complex interventions embedded in a realist approach

Background. Complex interventions have been conducted in the field of public health to improve health at the individual, organizational policy or population level. In occupational audiology, hearing conservation programmes (HCPs), which are interventions to minimize or eliminate occupational noise-induced hearing loss, are currently not defined as complex interventions, despite them fitting the definition and features of complex interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether HCPs are a complex intervention, fitting the predefined criteria for complex interventions. Method. A qualitative, descriptive research design was conducted using three sources of data – document analysis, interviews and systematic review – to allow for triangulation. Data were collected through purposive sampling and qualitative content analysis was used. Results. This study confirmed that HCPs are a complex intervention founded on solid and consolidated theories. Therefore, these results paved the way for realist reviews to be conducted in the mining sector in South Africa in order to understand the mechanisms influencing the success or failure of HCPs locally. Conclusion. The success of HCPs in the mining sector depends on conducting contextually evidence-based evaluations such as realist reviews which can provide policy-makers with contextual evidence for why certain programmes do or do not work in certain settings.

Why fix it if it’s not broken! The role of audiologists in families of hearing children born to deaf parents

Abstract Background: The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) clearly states the role of audiologists in the management of children diagnosed with hearing loss. However, there are no outlined guidelines regarding the role of audiologists in hearing Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs). A literature search on the role of audiologists in this population yielded no results both locally and internationally. Objectives: This study seeks to understand the role of audiologists in Deaf parented families as perceived by CODAs. Methods: Ten CODAs aged between 21 and 40 were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Data were inductively analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: The findings revealed mixed feelings. Some participants indicated their need for audiological services while others perceived audiologists as wanting to fix something that is not broken. Furthermore, most participants indicated not needing any support services while the involvement of extended family was met with mixed feelings. Conclusions: There is, therefore, a need for audiologists to critically scrutinize and define their role and its boundaries in these families. This can be achieved by engaging in a frank and honest discussion between audiologists and Deaf-parented families.

Parents are aware of the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy in paediatrics undergoing cancer treatment - Professional versus parental views: A pilot study

Background The primary goal of chemotherapy is to cure cancer and its symptoms. Hence, in recent years, there has been an increase in cancer paediatric survival rate. However, there have also been adverse side effects such as ototoxic hearing loss because of chemotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring whether the parents of children undergoing chemotherapy are aware of ototoxic effects of chemotherapy. Methods A non-experimental quantitative study was conducted to collect data through questionnaires, one for paediatric oncologists and the other for parents. A convenience sampling strategy was employed to recruit 11 paediatric oncologists and 7 parents from two public hospitals in Gauteng. The questionnaires were analysed quantitatively, using descriptive statistics. Results About 55% of paediatric oncologists indicated informing parents about the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy. On the contrary, 71% of parents reported having been informed by paediatric oncologists about the possible hearing loss because of chemotherapy; however, 57% of the children are receiving a combination of cisplatin and cyclophosphamide despite being aware of their ototoxic nature. Conclusion This study paves the way for qualitative studies to ascertain how parents are informed about the possible side effects such as hearing loss because of chemotherapy treatment. The mode in which parents are informed about the possible side effects related to chemotherapy is critical, considering that a high number of children are still receiving chemotherapeutic drugs that are directly linked to hearing loss.