Interplay Between Socioeconomic Status and Otitis Media Disease Burden in Resource-rich and Resource-poor Nations

Objectives/Hypothesis: To characterize global differences in otitis media (OM)-related disease burden between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged nations. Methods: Using the Global Health Data Exchange, worldwide OM burden was evaluated using age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 individuals in 183 countries from 1990 to 2015. Countries were organized by socioeconomic status using Human Development Index (HDI) values collected from the United Nations Development Program. Gini coefficients and concentration indices were employed to analyze disparities in OM disease burden. Results: From 1990 to 2015, the mean DALY rate across all nations decreased by 21.9%. When considering disease burden in relation to socioeconomic status, age-standardized DALYs decreased as HDI values increased (p 
Source: Otology and Neurotology - Category: ENT & OMF Tags: Middle Ear and Mastoid Disease Source Type: research