The point prevalence of otitis media with effusion among school children in Greece

Tympanometry, pneumatic otoscopy and acoustic reflex tests performed on 5121 school children aged 6-12 years old, during late spring and early autumn of 1996. Demographic, social, medical and birth related data were collected for each child separately. The study was undertaken in order to evaluate the prevalence of otitis media with effusion in a sample of the general population in Greece and to investigate the correlations with possible risk factors. A total of 6.5% had unilateral or bilateral type B or C2 tympanogramms, and negative reflex suggestive of otitis media with effusion. The finding indicates a rather low prevalence of otitis media with effusion in school children in Greece compared with other countries. This study, also has shown that there was a statistical significant relationship between secretory otitis media (SOM) and, age, sex, mother's education, parental smoking, breast-feeding, allergy and previous otitis media. No correlation was found in relation to the climate of residence, premature birth, number of siblings, mother's gestational age, birth skull circumference, birth body weight and length.