The relationship between otitis media with effusion and pediatric obesity

Objective: To research the effect of pediatric obesity on otitis media with effusion.Materials and Methods: We assessed 60 children with otitis media with effusion (experimental group) and 86 children with no history of any medical problem (study group) between ages 2-10. Otitis media with effusion was diagnosed by history, otoscopic examination, pure tone audiometry and timpanometry tests. We noted adenoid tissue ratio and presence of hypertrophic tonsil of all children in experimental group. In control group we had children with no history of ear-nose-throat and systemic diseases. We measured the weight and height each of 146 children in experimental and control groups. We calculated the body mass index(BMI), relative weight(RW), Z score of each children. We divided the children into 4 groups, underweight, normal, overweight and obese by using appropriate percentiles for gender and age. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 13.0. P-value<0,05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: We compared the experimental and control group for average BMI, RW and Z score and experimental group had significantly higher values for average BMI and RW (BMI p=0,035 , RW p=0,026). We made three different groups by using BMI (first group; obese+overweight, second group; normal, third group; underweight). As the groups compared we had got significantly higher values (p=0,044). We made same analysis by using RW. As the groups were compared we had significantly higher values (p=0,005). We compared the Z score averages of experimental and control groups. As we had no significantly higher values in Z score; experimental group had higher Z score average than control group. Control and experimental groups were divided into two groups; 2-6 and 6-10. Ages 6-10 in experimental group had significantly higher values (p=0,023). We made three unilateral otitis media with effusion, bilateral otitis media with effusion and control group. We compared these groups by using average of BMI, RW and Z score; we had significantly higher values in RW average (p=0,035). In experimental group, 31 of bilateral otitis media with effusion patients? RW average was higher than control group (p=0,046). 36(60%) children in experimental group had adenoid tissue lower than 50%, 24(40%) children in experimental group had adenoid tissue higher than 50%.Conclusion: Pediatric obesity may have an effect on the development of otitis media with effusion. This effect seems higher in ages 6-10.