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Quality of life improved in children with otitis media after 13 months
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Health-related quality of life improved after 13 months in children with otitis media, according to recent study findings published in Family Practice.
Christina T. Ryborg, a PhD student in the research unit for general practice at the Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, and colleagues followed 397 children with otitis media for 13 months to determine health-related quality of life (HRQOL). They also analyzed to what extent insertion of ventilation tubes, use of antibiotics, diagnoses, patient symptoms, day care attendance, parental absence from work and parental smoking affect HRQOL.
Overall, at 13 months, there were significant improvements in overall HRQOL, physical suffering, hearing loss, emotional distress, activity limitations and caregiver concerns.
There was a higher improvement in overall HRQOL in patients who received antibiotics compared with those who did not (OR=1.21; 95% CI, 0.41-2.01). Those patients who received a diagnosis of acute otitis media at inclusion also had an improved HRQOL compared with those who did not receive the diagnosis (OR=0.95; 95% CI, 0.18-1.71).
HRQOL was less improved in patients whose parents were absent from work during the past 3 months before completion of the second questionnaire due to otitis media compared with patients whose parents were not absent (OR=–2.42; 95% CI –3.2 to –1.65). A fever after 13 months also was associated with a lower improvement of HRQOL compared with patients without a fever (OR=–1.17; 9% CI, –2.17 to –0.17). The same was true for patients with sleep problems with ventilation tubes (OR=–1.73; 95% CI, –3.22 to –0.25) and without (OR=–1.8; 95% CI, –3 to –0.59).
“HRQOL in children with otitis media was significantly improved after 13 months,” the researchers wrote. “The improvement of HRQOL was significantly lower for children with sleep problems. In both age groups the improvement in HRQOL was significantly lower in children whose parents had been absent from work due to the child’s otitis media. There were no statistically significant differences in the improvement of HRQOL in children who had received a [ventilation tube] during the follow-up period.”
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the Oticon Foundation, the University of Southern Denmark, Region of Southern Denmark. The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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