Burden of ear morbidities among children in primary care setting in Delhi

IntroductionEar diseases in children are a major public health problem in developing countries. Among the risk factors of ear morbidities, socio-demographic factors play an important role.ObjectiveTo determine prevalence of ear morbidities and its socio-demographic determinants in children 1-10 years in an urban primary health center in Delhi.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 160 children aged 1-10 years in an urban primary health center situated in Delhi over a period of 3 months from January to March 2015. Primary caregivers (mother/father) of ill children aged 1-10 years who came to seek medical care for their children were interviewed using pre-tested, predesigned, semi-structured questionnaire schedule. Data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 17). Chi-square test was used to observe the differences between proportions. The results were considered statistically significant if “p” value was less than 0.05.ResultsThe study was conducted among 160 children of which 87 (54.4%) were males and 73 (45.6%) were females. Majority of families were Hindu (90.6%) and nuclear (53.8%) residing in same community. 30 (18.8%) children reported with ear complaints to out-patient department. 50 (31.2%) caregivers reported history of ear complaints in the child. Most common complaints were foreign body (14.37%), hearing loss (11.24%) and ear discharge (5.62%). No association was seen with age, gender and education of caregivers.Conclusion and recommendationsThere is a need to take immediate measures for prevention and control of common ear diseases in children.