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Otitis Media and Ventilation Tube Insertion and Quality of Life in a Rural Population in Denmark: Data From the LOFUS
Thomas Søborg1, Asbjørn Kørvel-Hanquist1, Preben Homøe1,2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.
Insights
Otitis media (OM) and ventilation tube insertion (VTI) are common in Danish children. VTI is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL) for both children and their families in rural areas.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Otolaryngology
- Public Health
Background:
- Otitis media (OM) is a prevalent childhood infection, affecting approximately 60% of children before age seven.
- Ventilation tube insertion (VTI) is a common treatment for OM, with 26% of Danish children undergoing the procedure before age seven.
- Previous research on VTI's impact on quality of life (QoL) in urban settings yielded mixed results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of OM and VTI on the QoL of children and their families in a rural Danish population.
- To address conflicting findings from previous studies conducted in urban areas.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, population-based questionnaire survey was conducted within the LOFUS cohort.
- Caregivers of 1169 children aged 2-10 years provided data on OM's impact on child and family QoL.
- Visual Analog Scales (0-10) were used to quantify the impact on QoL.
Main Results:
- 43% of children had no OM episodes, 35% had 1-3, and 22% had over 3 episodes.
- 26% of the cohort and 47% of OM-affected children had undergone VTI.
- VTI was significantly associated with poorer child QoL (OR=2.13) and family QoL (OR=2.27).
Conclusions:
- This study confirms a high incidence of OM and VTI in a rural Danish population.
- A significant association exists between VTI and diminished QoL for children and their families.
- Findings highlight the QoL impact of OM treatment in pediatric populations.
Background:
Otitis media (OM) is among the most common infections in childhood. Approximately 60% of all children will experience 1 or more episodes of OM before the age of 7 years, and 26% of children in Denmark are treated with ventilation tube insertion (VTI) before the age of 7 years. Previous studies investigating the effects of VTI on quality of life (QoL) for children and caregivers from urban areas have yielded conflicting results. Here, we investigate how OM and VTI affect the QoL in children and their families in a rural area of Denmark.
Methods:
We have performed a cross-sectional population-based questionnaire survey in the LOFUS cohort where caregivers of 1169 children aged 2 to 10 years, answered questions on how OM affects the child's and their family's general QoL. We used Visual Analog Scales from 0 (no effect) to 10 (worst possible effect) to score the impact on QoL.
Results:
In total, 480 children (43%) reported no episodes of OM, 385 (35%) experienced 1 to 3 episodes, and 247 (22%) experienced more than 3 episodes. Twenty-six percent of the total childhood cohort and 47% of children who reported OM had had VTI procedure performed. We found an odds ratio (OR) of 1.54 (0.36-10.62) and 2.66 (0.62-18.41) for poorer QoL in the affected child and an OR of 1.13 (0.26-7.91) and 1.91 (0.43-13.34) for poorer QoL in the family, for 1 to 3 and >3 episodes, respectively. VTI yielded an OR of 2.13 (95% CI = 1.48-3.08, P < .001) and 2.27 (95% CI = 1.54-3.37, P < .001) for poorer QoL on children's and family's QoL, respectively.
Conclusion:
Our study shows a high frequency of reported OM and a high frequency of VTI procedures performed in a rural population in Denmark. Furthermore, the study shows an association between VTI and poorer QoL in the children and in their families.
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