Racial and familial factors in otitis media. A point prevalence study on Easter Island.

Of the 249 children aged 5 to 9 years who live on Easter Island, 220 underwent complete otolaryngological evaluation. Twenty children were found to have otitis media (acute, chronic, or both). Three of these children were genetically impure natives, nine were of mixed parentage, and eight were "continentals" (with a birth origin other than the island). None of the genetically pure natives had otitis media. Our data show that, in a population with all factors in common except for familial and racial background, the point prevalence of otitis media is higher in children of mixed or continental origin than in genetically pure native children. The high prevalence of otitis media in children of mixed parentage and in one particular family of European ancestry suggests the presence of intrinsic or pronicity factors that are seemingly transmissible.