Passive smoking and nonrecurrent acute otitis media in children.
BACKGROUND
It remains uncertain whether passive smoking is a risk factor (RF) for nonrecurrent acute otitis media (AOM). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether exposure to second-hand smoke at home increased the prevalence of an isolated single episode of nonrecurrent AOM in children.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional study with 192 children younger than 3 years who were seen at a general pediatric clinic. A questionnaire was used to quantify the exposure to cigarette smoke at home and to assess other RFs for AOM. The diagnosis of AOM was made by pediatricians using otoscopy. The results of the associations were reported by prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the role of confounding variables among other potential RFs and passive smoking.


RESULTS
The prevalence ratio of an isolated single episode of nonrecurrent AOM between patients exposed and those not exposed to passive smoking was 0.82 (0.67 to 1.02). In logistic regression, any RF changed the main association significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to passive smoking did not change the prevalence of an isolated single episode of nonrecurrent AOM in children.
Lubianca Neto
J F
JF
Department of Ophthalmo-Otorhinolaryngology, Federal Foundation of Medical Sciences at Porto Alegre, Hospital da Criança Santo Antônio (Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa de Porto Alegre), Brazil.
Burns
A G
AG
Lu
L
L
Mombach
R
R
Saffer
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution