title: Assessment of hearing in a municipal public school student population.
abstract: Children need good hearing for adequate learning. Hearing screening in students is important because it allows cases that go unnoticed by the family may be detected.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate hearing in children aged 4-15 years--public school students from pre-first to the fifth grade in the city of Cabedelo, Paraíba state.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 98 students referred by teachers of 18 public schools in Cabedelo, from June 2007 to June 2010. Students were examined by an otolaryngologist and underwent audiometric testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen schools were enrolled in this study. The student's age ranged from 4 to 15 years; 62% were male and 38% were female. Otolaryngological tests were normal in 85% of cases, and abnormal in 15% of cases. The most frequent findings were ear wax and tympanic membrane retraction. Audiometry demonstrated normal hearing in 66% of children and impaired hearing in 34%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hearing Screening in school children is an important method for diagnosing hearing loss, especially in low-income populations.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Nossa Senhora do Rosário.
authors.forename: Janaina Cândida Rodrigues
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Maria da Conceição
authors.initials: Mda C
authors.lastname: Mendonça
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001299:Audiometry; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017150:Public Sector; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*