TITLE:
Hearing Loss and Academic Performance in Kinshasa School Close to a Source of Noise
AUTHORS:
Ignace Magloire Nsapu Kaumbu, Daniel Luwa E-Andjafono Okitundu, Richard Nzanzal Matanda, Dieudonné Tshipukanel Nyembue
KEYWORDS:
Hearing Loss, Environmental Noise, Cognitive Function, Student
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery,
Vol.14 No.5,
September
12,
2025
ABSTRACT: Context: Cognitive learning disabilities and hearing loss, a sensory impairment that is very common at all ages, are risk factors for declining academic performance. They are due to several causes, particularly ambient noise. However, there are very few studies on this aspect in low-income countries, such as ours. Aim: To assess the association between environmental noise, hearing loss and school performance among young primary school children in an educational district in Kinshasa. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study on data obtained from a representative survey at the scale of an urban municipality between 2019 and 2021. Two hundred thirty eight children aged 10 to 15 years, eligible for the National Primary School Leaving test, TENAFEP, and a dichotomized measurement of hearing status found or not during an ENT examination, were included. Cognition was assessed using the Screening Instrument For Targeting Educational Risk (SIFTER) score and TENAFEP results, as a dedicated measure. Results: Hearing loss was associated with cognitive impairment (correlation coefficient r was 0.611) and decreased academic performance with an odds ratio (OR): 2.48 (90% CI 1.22 - 5.06) and R2: 0.511. Hearing loss was associated with a decline in school performance (r: 0.412), with 8% increase in risk and R2: 0.380 - 0.558, compared to people with able hearing. Hearing loss and cognitive decline (r: 0.611) mediated the association between frequent engagement in leisure activities, noise exposure and academic performance for all samples and the subsample of boys (R2: 0.380). Conclusion: Hearing loss associated with environmental noise is a predictor of cognitive decline and academic performance. Involvement in leisure activities mediated association among boys rather than girls, hence the need to consider prospective longitudinal studies and the implementation of holistic deafness prevention and sound sanitation programs in schools.