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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Sarah O'Brien
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
OBJECTIVES: Gastrointestinal (GI) infections are common and most people do not see a physician. There is conflicting evidence of the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on risk of GI infections. We assessed the relationship between SES and GI calls to two National Health Service (NHS) telephone advice services in England.METHODS: Over 24 million calls to NHS Direct (2010-13) and NHS 111 (2013-15) were extracted from Public Health England (PHE) syndromic surveillance systems. The relationship between SES and GI calls was assessed using generalised linear models (GLM).RESULTS: Adjusting for rurality and age-sex interactions, in NHS Direct, children in disadvantaged areas were at lower risk of GI calls; in NHS 111 there was a higher risk of GI calls in disadvantaged areas for all ages (0-4 years RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.25-1.29; 5-9 years RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.36-1.51; 10-14 years RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.26-1.41; 15-19 years RR 1.59, 95% CI 1.52-1.67; 20-59 years RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.47-1.53, 60 years and over RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.09-1.14).CONCLUSIONS: Disadvantaged areas had higher risk of GI calls in NHS 111. This may relate to differences in exposure or vulnerability to GI infections, or propensity to call about GI infections.
Author(s): Adams NL, Rose TC, Elliot AJ, Smith G, Morbey R, Loveridge P, Lewis J, Studdard G, Violato M, O'Brien SJ, Whitehead M, Taylor-Robinson DC, Hawker JI, Barr B
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Infection
Year: 2019
Volume: 78
Issue: 2
Pages: 95-100
Print publication date: 01/02/2019
Online publication date: 26/09/2018
Acceptance date: 18/09/2018
Date deposited: 08/08/2019
ISSN (print): 0163-4453
ISSN (electronic): 1532-2742
Publisher: W.B. Saunders Co. Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2018.09.008
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2018.09.008
PubMed id: 30267800
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