Prevalence of Otitis Media with Effusion and Associated Factors in Children Less than 14 Years with Sleep Disordered Breathing at Pediatric ENT Clinic, Saint Pauls Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Abstract Abstract Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common cause of reversible hearing loss in children and is frequently associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) due to upper airway obstruction and Eustachian tube dysfunction. Evidence on the burden of OME among children with SDB in Ethiopia is limited. Objective: To determine the prevalence of otitis media with effusion and associated factors among children with sleep-disordered breathing attending the pediatric ENT clinic of Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 388 children aged under 14 years with sleep-disordered breathing. Sociodemographic, clinical, and environmental data were collected using structured questionnaires and clinical examination. Tympanometry was used to diagnose OME. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Bivariate analysis was performed, and variables with p < 0.25 were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model. Model fitness was assessed using the Omnibus test and Hosmer Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Results: Of the participants, 58.2% were males, and 89.7% resided in urban areas. Tympanometric findings showed type A in 52.6%, type B in 39.2%, and type C in 8.2% of children. The overall prevalence of OME was 39.2%(95% CI, 34.3%-44.1%). Children with OME were significantly younger than those without OME (p < 0.001). After adjustment, younger age (AOR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.46–0.76), grade 3–4 adenoid hypertrophy (AOR = 10.20; 95% CI: 3.54–29.40), day-care or preschool attendance (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI: 1.84 7.30), and overcrowded living conditions (AOR = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.69–6.53) were independently associated with OME. The model demonstrated good fit (p < 0.001). Conclusion: prevalence of OME in children with sleep disordered breathing is 39.2%. adenoid hypertrophy, daycare/preschool attendance, overcrowded living condition and younger age are factors independently associated with ome prevalence in this study. Key words: otitis media with effusion , sleep disordered breathing, adenoid hypertrophy.