title: Early acute otitis media: determined by exposure to respiratory pathogens.
abstract: The purpose of the present study is to assess the relationship between early acute otitis media (AOM) and exposure to respiratory pathogens mediated by siblings and day-care. A prospective cohort of 3,754 Norwegian children born in 1992-93 was followed from birth through 12 months. One or more episodes of AOM had been experienced by 25% of the children before age one. Logistic regression analysis showed that siblings attending day-care is the most important risk factor for early AOM (ORadj = 1.9 (1.4-2.3)). The total number of children in the day-care setting is another determinant for early AOM (ORadj = 2.0 (1.4-2.6) in groups of 4 or more other children and ORadj = 1.3 (1.0-1.7) in groups of 1-3 other children as compared with those who are cared for alone). Siblings who attend day-care and the number of children in the child's own day-care setting are the most important determinants for AOM the first year of life.
authors.affiliation: Section of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kvaerner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nafstad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Mair
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jaakkola
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission; D012307:Risk Factors