OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between community-level socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental characteristics, and the presence of two potentially waterborne infectious diseases, cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis, as reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. METHODS: We created a series of maps showing the spatial distribution of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in Massachusetts (1993-2002) overall and by age, using logistic regression to analyze associations between community-level characteristics and the presence of at least one reported case of each disease. This analysis was repeated for communities with predominantly private water supplies. RESULT: After adjusting for population size, higher population density and larger than average household sizes were associated with increased odds of reported cases of cryptosporidiosis. Giardiasis was also associated with high population density, but was not associated with household size. In the elderly, income was positively associated with the presence of giardiasis. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that greater population density and larger household sizes may increase the likelihood of protozoan gastrointestinal infection. The results emphasize the necessity to account for distal factors, such as demographic characteristics, that may ultimately play a role in the transmission or reporting of disease.
OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between community-level socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental characteristics, and the presence of two potentially waterborne infectious diseases, cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis, as reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. METHODS: We created a series of maps showing the spatial distribution of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in Massachusetts (1993-2002) overall and by age, using logistic regression to analyze associations between community-level characteristics and the presence of at least one reported case of each disease. This analysis was repeated for communities with predominantly private water supplies. RESULT: After adjusting for population size, higher population density and larger than average household sizes were associated with increased odds of reported cases of cryptosporidiosis. Giardiasis was also associated with high population density, but was not associated with household size. In the elderly, income was positively associated with the presence of giardiasis. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that greater population density and larger household sizes may increase the likelihood of protozoan gastrointestinal infection. The results emphasize the necessity to account for distal factors, such as demographic characteristics, that may ultimately play a role in the transmission or reporting of disease.
Authors: M S Prado; A Strina; M L Barreto; Ana Marlúcia Oliveira-Assis; Lívia Maria Paz; S Cairncross Journal: Epidemiol Infect Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 2.451
Authors: A V Diez-Roux; F J Nieto; C Muntaner; H A Tyroler; G W Comstock; E Shahar; L S Cooper; R L Watson; M Szklo Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 1997-07-01 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Jyotsna S Jagai; Jeffrey K Griffiths; Paul K Kirshen; Patrick Webb; Elena N Naumova Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2012-05-07 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Jyotsna S Jagai; Quanlin Li; Shiliang Wang; Kyle P Messier; Timothy J Wade; Elizabeth D Hilborn Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2015-04-09 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Jyotsna S Jagai; Stephanie DeFlorio-Barker; Cynthia J Lin; Elizabeth D Hilborn; Timothy J Wade Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2017-11-28 Impact factor: 9.031