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Background:

Inuits of the Arctic experience very high rates of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), yet world-wide, very little is known about the epidemiology of CSOM. The study aims were to determine incidence, median age at debut, risk factors, and associated population-attributable risks for CSOM in young children in Sisimiut, the second biggest town of Greenland (population 5400), where living conditions are relatively western and approximately 90% are Inuits.

Methods:

A population-based birth cohort of 465 children aged between 0 and 4 years was followed for a 2-year period (1996 to 1998), and cases of CSOM were registered based on medical history and clinical examinations. Kaplan-Meier curves were used for estimations of cumulative risk and Cox regression analyses for hazard rates associated with risk factors.

Results:

Cumulative risk of CSOM at 4 years of age was 14%, and median age at debut …