Racial and ethnic differences in the seroprevalence of 6 infectious diseases in the United States: data from NHANES III, 1988-1994.
OBJECTIVE
We examined racial/ethnic differences in the seroprevalence of selected infectious agents in analyses stratified according to risk categories to identify patterns and to determine whether demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral characteristics explain these differences.


METHODS
We analyzed data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, comparing differences among groups in regard to the prevalence of infection with hepatitis A, B, and C viruses, Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, and herpes simplex virus type 2.


RESULTS
Racial/ethnic differences were greater among those in the low-risk category. In the case of most infectious agents, odds associated with race/ethnicity were almost 2 times greater in that category than in the high-risk category.


CONCLUSIONS
Stratification and adjustment for socioeconomic factors reduced or eliminated racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of infection in the high-risk but not the low-risk group, wherein race/ethnicity remained significant and might have been a surrogate for unmeasured risk factors.
McQuillan
Geraldine M
GM
Division of Health Examination Surveys, National Center for Health Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 4204, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA. gmm2@cdc.gov
Kruszon-Moran
Deanna
D
Kottiri
Benny J
BJ
Curtin
Lester R
LR
Lucas
Jacqueline W
JW
Kington
Raynard S
RS
D000328:Adult; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology