Modifiable risk factors for invasive meningococcal disease, Edmonton, Alberta, 1999-2002: a case-control study

• Author / Creator

  Honish, Lance Everett

• An outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in the Capital Health region (metro Edmonton, Alberta) between December 1999 and June 2002 resulted in 84 laboratory-confirmed cases. Most cases (89%) were infected with Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C, and the highest age-specific incidence was observed in the 15-19 year age cohort (32% of cases). A case-conrol study was conducted to identify IDM risk factors among outbreak cases. Controls were recruited through random-digit dialing, an matched to cases on age and gender. A questionnaire was telephone-administered to 132 study Participants (44 cases 88 controls). Conditional logistic regression was utilized to calculate risk measures. Multivariate analysis revealed three statistically significant risk factors (bar patronage, "rave" attendance, maternal smoking) and one protective factor (humidifer use in the home). While the precision of risk estimates was low in the multivariate model, this study has identified rave attendance as an emergent IMD risk factor.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Meningitis, Meningococcal. Alberta.
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C. Alberta.
  • Epidemiologic Research Design.
  • Epidemiologic Study Characteristics as Topic.

• Graduation date

  2005

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science in Medical Sciences - Public Health Sciences

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-mdn1-tb76

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private, scholarly or scientific research. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.