Impact of pediatric obesity on the prevalence and outcome of otitis media with effusion.

INTRODUCTION

Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) is the most common cause of hearing impairment in the pediatric population. Pediatric obesity is another major health issue with numerous reported health consequences, however, published studies about its role in OME are limited. This study aims to investigate the impact of pediatric obesity on the prevalence and outcome of OME.

METHODS

A case-control study on 112 children aged 2-18 years who underwent ventilation tube insertion for the treatment of OME during 2015-2017 (cases) and 130 children with no history of OME matching for age and gender (control group). Each group was divided into four subgroups based on BMI by age and gender. The differences in the BMI between the cases and the control group were explored. The cases were further divided into obese and non-obese subgroups and were compared to determine the impact of obesity on the presentation and outcome of OME.

RESULTS

Mean±SD BMI is significantly higher in the cases compared to the control group (19.98±5.20 vs. 17.25±4.21) (P=0.032). Obesity is significantly more prevalent in patients with OME compared to the control group (25.0% vs. 19.2%) (P=0.021). Obese OME patients are more prone to develop recurrence compared to non-obese OME patients (OR 3.51, 95% CI1.12, 11.01).

CONCLUSION

Pediatric obesity might be associated with the development of OME. Moreover, obese OME patients are more prone to develop recurrence compared to non-obese patients.