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Published on: January 23, 2017
Child care arrangements and repeated ear infections in young children
1Division of Health Interview Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
Insights
Children in out-of-home child care have a higher risk of repeated ear infections. Smaller group sizes in child care settings may reduce this risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Repeated ear infections (otitis media) are common in young children.
- Child care arrangements are widespread, increasing young children's exposure to infectious agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between various child care arrangements and the incidence of repeated ear infections in children under six years old.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 5818 children under six from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey of Child Health.
- Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for repeated ear infections, controlling for demographic and medical history variables.
Main Results:
- Seventeen percent of children experienced repeated ear infections.
- Child care attendance was associated with a 50% increased risk of repeated ear infections, even after controlling for other factors.
- Day care centers and larger group sizes (over six children) posed a higher risk compared to home-based care.
Conclusions:
- Reducing group sizes in out-of-home child care settings may be crucial for lowering the risk of recurrent ear infections.
- Further research is needed to pinpoint specific child care factors contributing to ear infections, given the increasing reliance on these services.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between child care arrangements and repeated ear infections in young children.
Methods:
Data on 5818 children younger than 6 years of age were taken from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey of Child Health.
Results:
Seventeen percent of the children had had repeated ear infections in the year preceding the interview. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that factors significantly associated with repeated ear infections were age (1 to 2 years), race (White), sex (male), and medical history (repeated tonsillitis, enlarged adenoids, or asthma). When these factors were controlled for, children in a current child care arrangement still had a 50% higher chance of repeated ear infections than did children not in care. Children in day care centers were at higher risk than children cared for in homes. Care in settings with more than six children elevated the risk, but hours per week of care did not.
Conclusions:
Decreasing the risk of repeated ear infections in young children in out-of-home child care settings may require smaller group sizes. Given the increasing use of child care, research should continue to identify specific aspects of child care that contribute to this problem.
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