Psychosocial outcomes of children with ear infections and hearing problems: a longitudinal study
Anthony Hogan1, Rebecca L Phillips, Damien Howard
1ANZSOG Institute for Governance, University of Canberra, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia. anthony.hogan@canberra.edu.au.
Insights
Children with recurrent ear infections or hearing problems, particularly those identified at age 4/5, face a higher risk of long-term psychosocial difficulties. Early hearing problems at 0/1 years also impact psychosocial outcomes in young children.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatric Health
- Psychosocial Epidemiology
Background:
- Existing evidence suggests a link between psychosocial health and childhood ear infections/hearing problems.
- Longitudinal data investigating this relationship is limited.
- This study addresses this gap using prospective longitudinal data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of ear infections and hearing problems on psychosocial outcomes in children.
- To investigate this relationship across two different age cohorts.
- To provide longitudinal evidence on the long-term effects.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) with two cohorts (0/1 years and 4/5 years).
- Collected data across multiple time points (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).
- Assessed psychosocial outcomes using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and analyzed data via multivariate analysis of variance and logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Children with ongoing ear infections or hearing problems at 4/5 years were more likely to have abnormal/borderline psychosocial outcomes at 10/11 years.
- In the younger cohort, hearing problems at 0/1 years were associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes at 6/7 years, but ear infections were not.
- The study highlights age-specific impacts of ear infections and hearing problems on psychosocial development.
Conclusions:
- Reinforces the potential relationship between recurrent ear infections/hearing problems and children's long-term psychosocial health.
- Supports the need for systematic investigation into these associations.
- Suggests early identification and intervention for ear infections and hearing problems may be crucial for psychosocial well-being.
Background:
There is some evidence of a relationship between psychosocial health and the incidence of ear infections and hearing problems in young children. There is however little longitudinal evidence investigating this relationship. This paper used 6-year prospective longitudinal data to examine the impact of ear infection and hearing problems on psychosocial outcomes in two cohorts of children (one cohort recruited at 0/1 years and the other at 4/5 years).
Methods:
Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) were analysed to address the research aim. The LSAC follows two cohorts of children (infants aged 0/1 years - B cohort, n = 4242; and children aged 4/5 years - K cohort, n = 4169) collecting data in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. In B cohort at baseline 3.7% (n = 189) of the sample were reported by their parent to have had an ear infection (excluding hearing problems) and 0.5% (n = 26) were reported by their parent to have hearing problems (excluding ear infections). 6.7% (n = 323) of the K cohort were identified as having had an ear infection and 2.0% (n = 93) to have hearing problems. Psychosocial outcomes were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Data were analysed using multivariate analysis of variance and logistic regression, reporting adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals of the association between reported ear infections (excluding hearing problems)/or hearing problems (excluding ear infections) and psychosocial outcomes.
Results:
Children were more likely to have abnormal/borderline psychosocial outcomes at 10/11 years of age if they had been reported to have ongoing ear infections or hearing problems when they were 4/5 years old. When looking at the younger cohort however, poorer psychosocial outcomes were only documented at 6/7 years for children reported to have hearing problems at 0/1 years, not for those who were reported to have ongoing ear infections.
Conclusion:
This study adds further evidence that a relationship may exist between repeated ear infections or hearing problems and the long-term psychosocial health of children and provides support for a more systematic investigation of these issues.
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