Prevalence of otitis media in children in a black rural community in Venda (South Africa).

During mid-winter in 1985, 480 residents from a remote rural community in Venda, South Africa, were examined for the presence of middle and external ear pathology. The children (less than 15 years) numbered 267. The otological examination consisted of (1) pneumatic otoscopic examination, (2) tympanometry, (3) contralateral acoustic reflex. A diagnostic algorithm as proposed by Cantekin et al. was applied to assess the findings. Our data showed the prevalence of otitis media in children to be 8.2%. The highest prevalence was found in the 0-23 months age group. Of 22 children with otitis media, only one had a perforation with otorrhea. Otitis media with effusion was found in 3.8% of the children. External otitis media as an independent variable was found in only 1.5% of the 267 children, while 6.7% presented with scarred tympanic membranes. Our data suggest the existence of considerable differences in the prevalence of otitis media in children between two comparable black rural communities from Nigeria and Venda.