Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with OME among preschool children. An insight into the factors associated with OME helps in the increase of awareness and helps to take appropriate steps in decreasing the occurrence of this disease among preschool children.
Material and Methods: This nested case-control, hospital-based study was conducted between December 2018 and December 2019 in hospitals, in Arar city, Northern Border Region, Saudi Arabia.
Results: A total of 530 children aged less than 6 years were randomly selected. The prevalence of OME was 6.8%. There is a statistically significant (P<0.05) relationship between OME and bottle-feeding, parent's education, daycare attendance, passive smoking, allergic rhinitis, history of acute OM, nasal discharge, recurrent URTI, recurrent tonsillitis. In multivariate regression analysis, the following five factors were found to be independentl predictors of OME: Nasal discharge (OR=4.9), allergic rhinitis (OR=5.5), bottle-feeding (OR=5.8), snoring (OR=3.2) and past history of acute OME.
Discussion: The prevalence of OME was 6.8% and nasal discharge, allergic rhinitis, bottle feeding, snoring and history of acute OM were the independently predictors of OME.