Epidemiology of Acute Otitis Media in Children in An Urban Population

Abstract

The epidemiology of acute otItIs media (AOM) in children is still to a great deal inadequately explored ( Hinchcliffe , 1972; McEldowney and Kessner , 1972; Manning et al ., 1974). Most earlier studies have been carried out in small selected groups of children. A few great incidence studies over I year have been published earlier (Medical Research Council, 1957; Pukander , 1982). There are very few cohort studies penetrating the relationship between AOM and demographic, medical and socio-economic factors ( Pukander , 1982; Paterson and MacLean , 1970; Teele et al ., 1980). Prospective investigations in a sufficiently large cohort of unselected children from a weel-defined population have been recommended ( Kudrjavcev and Schoenberg , 1979). Malmo, Sweden, is a well-defined geographic unit with unique conditions for epidemiologic studies. The aim of the present investigation was to study the incidence rate of AOM in children in a prospective cohort study with a special reference to children with recurrent episodes of AOM early in life.