Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the general population towards ear care and hearing health in Karnali Province, Nepal.

Background: The ear plays a vital role in hearing and maintaining balance, which means proper care is crucial. This study examines the knowledge, attitude, and practice of ear care and hearing health in the community. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 17 February and 16 March 2024 in three municipalities each from Surkhet and Salyan districts of Karnali Province, selected using probability-proportional-to-size sampling. Structured interviews were conducted with 1532 individuals aged 15 years and above, following informed consent. A 20-item questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Among the 1532 participants, 55.1% were aged 15-44 years, and 64.6% were female. The mean knowledge score was 3.04 ± 0.93, the attitude score was 3.35 ± 0.98, and the practice score was 2.39 ± 0.81 (out of 5). Good knowledge was found in 34.7% of participants, a positive attitude in 47.7%, and appropriate practices in only 7.2%. Age was significantly associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice, with younger individuals exhibiting higher scores. Education level was significantly associated with knowledge and attitude but not with practice. Significant positive correlations were observed between knowledge and attitude, and between attitude and practice, but not between knowledge and practice. Conclusion: Less than half of the population demonstrated good knowledge and attitude towards ear and hearing health. Healthy practices were notably low. Younger participants had better KAP levels than older individuals. While higher education was linked to improved knowledge and attitude, it did not influence healthy practices.