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Prevalence and risk factors for parent-reported recurrent otitis media during early childhood

The objective was to describe the prevalence and risk factors of recurrent otitis media (rOM) in an urban Australian population at 3 years of age.

Authors:
Brennan-Jones CG, Whitehouse AJ, Park J, Hegarty M, Jacques A, Eikelboom RH, Swanepoel DW, White JD, Jamieson SE

Authors notes:
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 2014;Online:1-7

Keywords:
Epidemiology, Glue ear, Otitis media, Prevalence, Raine Study, Risk factor

Abstract:
The objective was to describe the prevalence and risk factors of recurrent otitis media (rOM) in an urban Australian population at 3 years of age.

The prevalence of parent-reported rOM was 26.8% (611/2280) and 5.5% (125/2280) for severe rOM in the Study.

Independent associations were found between rOM and the presence of older siblings, attendance at day care and the introduction of other milk products at ≤4 months of age.

Independent associations for severe rOM were the presence of allergies and attendance at day care.

Prevalence rates of rOM within the Raine Study children are similar to a number of other known cohorts.

Parity, presence of allergies, attendance at day care and introduction of other milk products at ≤4 months are highlighted as specific risk factors for rOM in this population and presence of allergies and attendance at day care being risk factors for severe rOM.

Diagnosis of rOM by parent report and the delay between data collection and reporting are limitations of this study.

However, as there is very limited data on OM in urban, non-Indigenous Australian children, this study improves our understanding of OM for this group.