Otitis media is the leading reportable disease among the Indian and Eskimo population. In addition, its prevalence is more frequent in American natives than in Caucasians or Negroes. An attempt herewith is made to delineate the factors that account for the high prevalence of otitis media in the acute and chronic form. Secondly, the characteristic morbid complications of otitis media in this population are evaluated.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
WietR. Patterns of ear disease in the southwestern American Indian. Arch Otolaryngol1979; 105: 381–5.
2.
KessnerDSnowCKSingerJ. Assessment of medical care for children. In: Contrasts in health status, Vol 3. Washington: Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, 1974.
3.
GriffithT. Epidemiology of otitis media: an interracial study. Laryngoscope1979; 89: 22–30.
4.
KleinJ. Epidemiology of otitis media. In: WietRCoulthardS, eds. Proceedings of the second national conference on otitis media. Columbus: Ross Publications, 1979.
5.
BrodyJAOverfieldTMcAlisterR. Draining ears and deafness among Alaska Eskimos. Arch Otolaryngol1965; 81: 29–33.
6.
HaymanCRKesterFE. EENT Infections in natives of Alaska. Northwest Med1957; 56: 423–30.
7.
LingDMcCoyRHLevinsonED. The incidence of middle ear disease and its educational implications among Baffin Island Eskimo children. Am J Public Health1969; 60: 385–90.
8.
ZonisRD. Chronic otitis media in the southwestern American Indian. Arch Otolaryngol1968; 88: 361–5.
KaplanGJFleshmanJKBenderTRBaumCClachPS. Long term effects of otitis media: ten year cohort study of Alaskan Eskimo children. Pediatrics1973; 52: 577–85.
11.
ShawJRToddNWGoodwinMH. Observation of otitis media among four Indian populations in Arizona. In: WietRCoulthardS, eds. The proceedings of the second national conference on otitis media. Columbus: Ross Publications, 1979.
12.
JaffeBF. The incidence of ear disease in the Navajo Indians. Laryngoscope1969; 79: 2126–34.
13.
CalderelliD. Incidence and type of otopathology associated with congenital palatopharyngeal incompetence. Laryngoscope1978; 88: 1970–83.
14.
DoyleWJ. A functional-anatomic description of eustachian tube vector relations in four ethnic populations: an osteology study. Microfilm, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1977.
15.
BeeryQCDoyleWJCantekinEIBluestoneCDWietRJ. Eustachian tube function in an American Indian population. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol1980; 89Suppl 68: 28–33.
16.
JaffeBFDeBlancGB. Sinusitis in children with cleft lip and palates. Arch Otolaryngol1971; 93: 479–82.
17.
SchaeferO. Otitis media and bottle feeding. Can Public Health1971; 62: 478–89.
18.
CunninghamAS. Morbidity in breast fed and artificially fed infants. J Pediatr1977; 90: 726–9.
19.
ReedDDunnW. Epidemiologic studies of otitis media among Eskimo children. Public Health Rep1970; 85: 699–706.
20.
SpiveyGHirschhornN. A migrant study of adopted Apache children. Johns Hopkins Med J1977; 40: 43–6.
21.
BealDD. Prevention of otitis media in the Alaska native. In: GlorigAGerwinKS, eds. Otitis media: proceedings of the national conference, Callier hearing and speech center, Dallas, 1970. Springfield: Charles C Thomas, 1972: 158–62.
22.
Department of Health and Welfare, Children's Bureau DHECO. The McGrath project: A demonstration study on prevention of upper respiratory disease, State of Alaska, 1962.
23.
KessnerDSnowCSingerJ. Assessment of medical care for children. In: Contrasts in health care, Vol 3. Washingtion: Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, 1974.
24.
ZonisRD. Chronic otitis media in the Arizona Indian. Ariz Med1970; 27: 1–6.
25.
CambonKGalbraithJDKongG. Middle ear disease in Indians on the Mount Currie Reservation, British Columbia. Can Med Assoc J1965; 93: 1301–5.
26.
RatnesarP. Aeration: a factor in the sequelae of chronic ear disease along the Labrador and northern Newfoundland coast. In: McCabeBSadéJAbramsonM, eds. Cholesteatoma, first international conference, Birmingham: Aesculapius, 1977.
27.
DeBlancGB. Otologic problems in Navajo Indians of the southwestern United States. Hearing Instruments1975; 26: 15.
