Background: Hearing loss is known to be one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting older people, reportedly affecting 30% - 46% of older adults in various populations. This study aims to explore the level of knowledge of medical students and interns regarding age-related hearing loss at the University of Jeddah, to assess the adequacy of Ear, Nose, and Throat curriculum in Schools of Medicine.
Methodology: An online self-administered structured questionnaire was sent to the medical students and interns at the University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, including questions on hearing loss in elderly patients in addition to socio-demographic data. Data analysis was done through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program version 22.
Results: A total of 143 students responded to this survey. The minimum knowledge score was zero, while the maximum score was 12 out of 16. The average knowledge score for the whole cohort was (5.93 ± 4.153). Also, students in the fourth academic year got significantly higher scores (8.47 ± 3.842) compared to other students in other academic years (p-value < 0.001). Sixty-three percent of the students believed that the knowledge and duration of Ear, Nose, and Throat curriculum in medical school were not sufficient.
Conclusion: The level of knowledge of medical students and interns at the University of Jeddah was found unsatisfactory. This should draw the attention of decision-makers in medical higher education in Saudi Arabia to improve the level of knowledge of medical students, and therefore primary care physicians, toward Ear, Nose, and Throat specialty.
Key words: Hearing loss, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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