The prevalence of otitis media with effusion among Inuit children

Studies over the past 30 years have shown a decline in the prevalence of chronic otitis media in some parts of the Arctic, presumably largely due to more prompt treatment, preventing acute infections from becoming chronic. In contrast, some researchers have suggested that the prevalence of otitis media with effusion has increased. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of otitis media with effusion among children aged 6-17 years in Sanikiluaq, an Inuit community in the Keewatin District of the Northwest Territories.

A cohort of 126 children at the local community school was examined and assessed by otoscopy, audiometry, and impedance testing.

Four percent of children were found to have otitis media with effusion causing significant hearing loss. An additional 17% had otitis media with effusion, with minimal or no detectable hearing loss. Thus, the prevalence of otitis media with effusion in Sanikiluaq school-age children is 4% to 21%. There are few previously published data with which to compare these findings. In the past, otitis media with effusion was infrequently reported among the Inuit. Therefore, our results may suggest an increasing prevalence over the past several decades. If these results are representative of other communities, otitis media with effusion is a significant health problem among the Inuit.