Table 3.
Prevalence and cross-sectional association between ear infection and health service use.
| Health services | Children aged 4 to 5 years | Children aged 10 to 11 years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % (n) | Ear infection % prevalence (n) | Odds ratios and P value | % (n) | Ear infection % prevalence (n) | Odds ratios and P value | |
| General practitioners | ||||||
| No | 6.2 (66) | OR = 1.00 | 1.6 (26) | OR = 1.00 | ||
| Yes | 63.2% (3115) | 8.4 (263) |
OR = 1.38; P = 0.022 |
61.8% (2573) | 4.4 (113) |
OR = 2.76; P < 0.001 |
| Hospital outpatients | ||||||
| No | 7.2 (272) | OR = 1.00 | 3.2 (127) | OR = 1.00 | ||
| Yes | 8.3% (409) | 13.9 (57) |
OR = 2.08; P < 0.001 |
5.6% (231) | 5.2 (12) | OR = 1.64; P = 0.110 |
| Pediatrician | ||||||
| No | 3.2 (124) | OR = 1.00 | ||||
| Yes | N/A | 6.3% (264) | 5.7 (15) |
OR = 1.83; P = 0.031 |
||
| Early intervention services | ||||||
| No | 7.7 (280) | OR = 1.00 | 3.2 (133) | OR = 1.00 | ||
| Yes | 8.3% (415) | 9.1 (49) | OR = 1.20; P = 0.260 |
1.5% (64) | 9.4 (6) |
OR = 3.08;
P = 0.010 |
| Speech therapy | ||||||
| No | 7.3 (266) | OR = 1.00 | 3.2 (128) | OR = 1.00 | ||
| Yes | 10.9% (538) | 12.3 (63) |
OR = 1.79;
P < 0.001 |
10.4% (513) | 9.6 (11) |
OR = 3.24;
P < 0.001 |
| Other specialist | ||||||
| No | 3.0 (109) | OR = 1.00 | ||||
| Yes | N/A | 11.8% (492) | 6.1 (30) |
OR = 2.12;
P < 0.001 |
||