Publication:

Nutritional status and morbidity among deaf-mute children attending special school in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh: a cross sectional study

Background Deaf-mute children are those who have a hearing loss that prevents them from acquiring or using spoken language. They may use sign language, gestures, lip-reading, writing or other forms of communication. Hearing loss affects the quality of life and well-being of individuals, families and communities. According to WHO 63 million population in India with hearing loss, in that 4.5 million people are children under 15 years of age.

Methods A school based, cross-sectional study, done in Special school for deaf-mute, Nandyal over a period of June-July 2023 (2months) by using pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire by interview method, with help of Convenience sampling technique for sample size of 100. A pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview subjects after taking permission from the principal and confidentiality was ensured. The collected data were analysed using MS Excel and SPSS 2027 version.

Results Among 100 deaf-mute children, 57 were boys and 43 were girls, prevalence of undernutrition out of 57 boys were 49(85%) and among 43 girls were 27 (62%), overall prevalence of undernutrition were 76%, morbidity pattern showed that dental carries were second most common morbidity which were around 47%, followed by refractory error 12%.

Conclusions Understanding the interplay between deafness, muteness, and nutritional health is crucial for developing comprehensive care strategies. It is essential to address these challenges holistically, considering the socio-economic factors that influence access to nutritious food and healthcare services.