Mersin'de ilkokul çocuklarında efüzyonlu otitis media prevalansı ve risk faktörleri

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) and related risk factors among primary school children in Mersin.
 Material and Method: The study was conducted at eight primary government schools in the distinct socioeconomic district between October 2018 and December 2018. Using the combined physical examination and otoscopic evaluations, a total of 960 children included the study. 
 Findings: Of the children who were screened, 53.2% were girls and the mean age was 7.57 ± 0.45 years (min: 5 - max: 11 years). In this study, OME prevalence was 2,6% (20 of 761 children) and all children had bilateral OME. There was no statistically significant difference between the presence of OME and the number of people at home, incoming level, month of birth, birth weight, duration of breastfeeding, age average, class, gender, smoking in the house, presence of hearing loss in the family, history of otitis in the family, use of pacifier, use of baby bottle, presence of allergy, previous history of otitis, the presence of open mouth, snoring and tonsil grades.
 Conclusion: Although the low prevalence of OME in our study, considering that OME and its possible preventive severe complications, screening for OME should be a part of preventive health services, particularly for primary school children.