The magnitude and factors associated with ear infection in a Tertiary hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Abstract Background Ear infection is a common public health problem in developing countries,. There is limited data on the factors that are associated with ear infections, which has hastened the spread of ear infections and the repercussions of ear infection including hearing loss. The study aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with ear infection among patients attending Otorhinolaryngology clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2021. Participants with signs and symptoms of ear infection attending otorhinolaryngology clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were recruited into this study. The clinical information from the participants was collected using a standardized data collection tool and an ear swab was collected and taken to the lab for culture and identification. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS v23), proportions and percentages were used to indicate the magnitude. The Chi-square test was employed to assess associations between variables, with statistical significance determined at a p-value of 0.05. Logistic regression was used to measure the strength of the association between dependent and independent variables. Results A total of 255 eligible participants were enrolled, with a median age of 31 years (IQR: 15–49). The magnitude of ear infection was found to be 53.3% (136 out of 255). Majority (26.8%) of participants with ear infection were elderly above 50 years followed by children under 10 years (17.9%). Additionally, we observed that the factors such as cotton buds use (AOR 2.78, 95%CI 1.08–7.15, p = 0.035), cerumen impaction (AOR 12.86, 95%CI 2.78–59.33, p < 0.001), recurrent upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (AOR 3.43, 95%CI 1.22–10.03, p = 0.019), nasal congestion/discharge (AOR 3.55, 95% CI 1.36–9.27, p = 0.010) and ear cleaning (AOR 3.45, 95% CI 1.44–8.25, p = 0.005) were independently associated with ear infection. Conclusions The present study has revealed a relatively high magnitude of ear infection, with elders above 50 years and children below 10 years accounting for the majority of cases. Our study findings show that nasal congestion, recurrent URTI, use of cotton buds, cerumen impaction and ear cleaning are potential risk factors for ear infection.