title: Prevalence and risk factors for parent-reported recurrent otitis media during early childhood in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the prevalence and risk factors of recurrent otitis media (rOM) in an urban Australian population at 3 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional examination of prevalence and risk factors of rOM in 2280 participants from the Raine Study enrolled from public and private hospitals in Perth, Western Australia, between 1989 and 1991. Parental report questionnaires at 3 years of age were used for rOM identification, with secondary confirmation by otoscopic examination at 1, 2 or 3 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of parent-reported rOM was 26.8% (611/2280) and 5.5% (125/2280) for severe rOM in the Study. Independent associations were found between rOM and the presence of older siblings, attendance at day care and the introduction of other milk products at ≤4 months of age. Independent associations for severe rOM were the presence of allergies and attendance at day care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence rates of rOM within the Raine Study children are similar to a number of other known cohorts. Parity, presence of allergies, attendance at day care and introduction of other milk products at ≤4 months are highlighted as specific risk factors for rOM in this population and presence of allergies and attendance at day care being risk factors for severe rOM. Diagnosis of rOM by parent report and the delay between data collection and reporting are limitations of this study. However, as there is very limited data on OM in urban, non-Indigenous Australian children, this study improves our understanding of OM for this group.
authors.affiliation: Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Ear Science Institute Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Brennan-Jones
authors.forename: Andrew Jo
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
authors.forename: Jae
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hegarty
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Eikelboom
authors.forename: De Wet
authors.initials: de W
authors.lastname: Swanepoel
authors.forename: Joanna D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Sarra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jamieson
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Raine Study; epidemiology; glue ear; otitis media; prevalence; risk factor