Climatic and racial factors related to the aetiology of secretory otitis media.

This paper studied the incidence of secretory and chronic otitis among a random group of 5,950 children, aged from 4 to 9, coming from four different climatic regions of Spain, and including a group of Gypsy children. Each of the children was given a questionnaire regarding socio-economic and environmental situation and pathological antecedents; the results for sick and normal children were then statistically analysed. The most significant aetiological factors to emerge were: low economic level, prior respiratory infection, climatic conditions, cases of rhinosinusitis and acute otitis, and family history. Among Gypsy children a much greater incidence was observed, due not to racial origin but to the greater incidence of the factors cited above.