INVITATION
TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH PROJECT: TO ALL FINAL YEAR HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS
REGISTERED IN THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Dear Prospective Student Respondent
We,
the 4th-year Audiology students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville
Campus) are conducting a research study aimed at exploring final year health
science students’ knowledge and awareness of childhood hearing loss at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal.
We have received ethical clearance
for the study REF: HSSREC/00008383/2025 and gatekeeper permission from the
Office of the Registrar as attached.
Identification
of hearing loss and the effective provision of ear and hearing health care for
children depend on the collaboration of various healthcare providers. Health
science students need to be made aware and receive some training on early
identification and management crucial for mitigating the adverse effects for
children with hearing loss. This awareness, education and training can help
students in health sciences refer appropriately and
communicate with children who have hearing loss in an effective manner, which
can improve their overall quality of life and indirectly reduce the number of children
whose hearing loss remains undetected.
If
you are 18 years or older and currently registered in your final year of study,
you are eligible to take part in this study from the following disciplines in
the following capacity:
Pilot study: Audiology and Speech Therapy final
year students
Main study: Dental Therapy, Oral hygiene,
Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, and Sport Science-
final year students.
Prior
to participating in the study you will receive an information document and
consent from that you will need to sign. Participation in this study involves
completing a questionnaire, which should take approximately 20 minutes of your
time. All responses will remain anonymous, and no personal information will be
linked to your responses. Participants are required to complete the
questionnaire only once. Please note that participation is entirely voluntary,
and opting out will not result in any negative consequences.
We
kindly request that the class representatives of each final year health science
class also share the link below with the class and send a reminder for the
class to participate.
If
you are interested in participating, please click the link below to access the
information, consent documents, and the questionnaire online:
Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFJGEf90rezrzZtFnZfV9odG83d1SdMOL6FHYJKOEwypyGuA/viewform?usp=header
We
appreciate your time and contribution to this study.
Researchers:
Lindelwa
Ntuli
Husna Moosa
Aphelele Nyawo
220052328@ukzn.ac.za 222005847@ukzn.ac.za 222026509@ukzn.ac.za
Research
Supervisor:
Ms.
Nasim Khan
Thank you for your
participation!
