PREVALENCE AND RISK-FACTORS OF CHRONIC OTITIS-MEDIA IN KOREA - RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE SURVEY

A nation-wide survey on the prevalence and risk factors of chronic oti tis media (COM) in Korea was conducted by means of physical examinatio n by otolaryngologists from July to October, 1991. Total subjects exam ined were 9,321, who were drawn from 2,899 households residing in 60 d ifferent areas throughout the country. The overall prevalence rate of OM was 2.85% whereas that of COM was 2.19%. For the study of risk fact ors of COM, a case-control analysis was made. The prevalence of chroni c OM did not vary by sex, nor by urban-rural difference. However, the risk increased with aging. There was a significant geographic variatio n by provinces. General risk factors such as crowding, economic activi ty, childhood home, marital status, maternal or paternal age, body wei ght, smoking habits, age of first otorrhea, preauricular fistula, cana l atresia and cleft anomaly imply an increased risk of COM. Other fact ors such as residency, education, social class, height, history of bre ast feeding, microtia, nasal septal deviation, nasal polyposis and nas al allergic symptoms showed little influence on COM.