목적: The performance of nationwide studies of chronic otitis media (COM) in adults has been insufficient in Korea. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of COM in Korea. 방법:This study was conducted using data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 23,621). After exclusion of patients who were < 20 years of age and patients with cancer, 16,063 patients were evaluated for COM. All of the patients underwent a medical interview, physical examination, endoscopic examination, and blood and urine testing. COM was diagnosed by trained residents in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology using an ear, nose, and throat questionnaire and otoendoscopy findings. Data on the presence and absence of COM were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for COM. 결과:Among all of the 16,063 patients aged > 20 years, the weighted prevalence of COM was 3.8%. In the multivariate analyses, the following factors showed high odds ratios (ORs) for COM pulmonary tuberculosis (adjusted OR, 1.78 95% confidence interval CI, 1.06-3.01), chronic rhinosinusitis (adjusted OR, 1.87 95% CI, 1.17-2.98), mild hearing impairment (adjusted OR, 1.95 95% CI, 1.34-2.85), moderate hearing impairment (adjusted OR, 4.00 95% CI, 2.21-7.22), tinnitus (adjusted OR, 1.82 95% CI, 1.34-2.49), increased hearing thresholds in pure tone audiometry in the right ear (adjusted OR, 1.02 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), and left ear (adjusted OR, 1.03 95% CI, 1.02-1.04). The following factors showed low odds ratios for COM hepatitis B (adjusted OR, 0.28 95% CI, 0.08-0.94) and rhinitis (adjusted OR, 0.60 95% CI, 0.42-0.88). In addition, high levels of vitamin D, lead, and cadmium a high EQ-5D index and low red blood cell counts were associated with development of COM (Student's t-test, P < 0.01). 결론:The present population-based study showed that COM is not rare in Korea, and its development may be associated with various host and environmental factors.