Ear care: Knowledge, behavior, and attitudes among healthcare practitioners in Najran City, Saudi Arabia

Background Personal care for body organs is a well-known practice of human beings, especially those organs that need regular care to improve function or hygiene. The ear is a unique sense organ with a specific anatomical shape to perform the function of hearing and balance.Objectives To determine healthcare practitioners' current knowledge, behavior, and attitude regarding ear care.Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare practitioners at different hospitals in Najran City, Saudi Arabia, from 25th June to 30th August 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among healthcare practitioners using an online survey. The questionnaire includes basic demographic characteristics (i.e. gender, speciality, and religion). It assesses the knowledge, behavior, and attitude toward ear care, and the use of mobile headphones and earrings that affect ear health. All statistical data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.Results Of the 209 healthcare practitioners involved, 60.8% were females, and 46.9% were physicians. The prevalence of self-ear cleaning was 97.6%. Of them, 33% were cleaning their ears every week. Cotton buds were the most preferred method for self-ear cleaning. The proportion of participants who injured their ears while cleaning was 8.6%. The most common treatment method to relieve ear pain was visiting a doctor (44.4%) and utilizing a painkiller (29.7%). Interestingly, respondents who injured their ears during cleaning and those who experienced wax accumulation were significantly more common among physicians.Conclusion Self-ear cleaning practices are widely prevalent in this study which could be related to the lack of knowledge about ear care among healthcare practitioners. Physicians who experienced wax accumulation tend to use other methods for self-ear cleaning rather than cotton buds. Further research is needed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the population who are working in healthcare institutions.