Abstract
BackgroundOtitis media (OM) is a very common condition in children and occurs during years that are critical to the development of learning, literacy, and math skills. Therefore, among a large cohort of Danish conscripts, we aimed to examine the association between hospitalisation with OM in early childhood and cognitive function and educational level in early adulthood.MethodsWe conducted a population-based prevalence study using linked data from healthcare databases and conscription records of Danish men born between 1977 and 1983. We identified all hospitalisations with OM before 8 years of age. Cognitive function was measured by the Boerge Prien validated group intelligence test (Danish Børge Prien Prøve, BPP). We adjusted for potential confounders with and without stratification by hearing impairment. Furthermore, we examined the association between hospitalisation with OM and the prevalence of having achieved a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), stratified by quartiles of BPP scores.ResultsOf the 18 412 eligible conscripts aged 18–25 years, 1000 (5.5%) had been hospitalised with OM before age 8. Compared with conscripts without such a record, the adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) for a BPP score in the bottom quartile was 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–1.33). There was no major difference in the proportion of men with a GCSE and those without among those hospitalised with OM in early childhood. For men in the bottom and upper quartiles of BPP scores, the PRs for early childhood hospitalisation with OM were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.59–1.33) and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.88–1.05), respectively. Among men with severe hearing impairment, the proportion with a BPP score in the bottom quartile did not differ between those with and without an OM hospitalisation [PR = 1.01 (95% CI: 0.78–1.34)].ConclusionsOverall, we found that hospitalisation with OM in early childhood was associated with a slightly lower cognitive function in early adulthood. Hospitalisation for OM did not seem to influence the prevalence of GSCE when level of BPP was taken into account.
Highlights
Otitis media (OM) is a very common condition in children and occurs during years that are critical to the development of learning, literacy, and math skills
We examined prevalence ratio (PR) for OM hospitalisation and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) stratified into four quartiles by Boerge Prien test (BPP) score
The prevalence of exemption prior to draft board evaluation was 20% for men hospitalised with OM in early childhood and 11% for men with no record of a hospitalisation with OM
Summary
Otitis media (OM) is a very common condition in children and occurs during years that are critical to the development of learning, literacy, and math skills. Acute OM and OM with effusion (OME) are among the main reasons for early childhood consultations with general practitioners, Since OM occurs in the critical years of language, literacy, and math skill development [4], OM in early childhood may affect cognitive function later in life. In a meta-analysis Roberts et al found no to very small effect of OM to speech and language development in most children [9]. These findings imply an association between hearing impairment and cognitive function
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