title: Burden of acute gastrointestinal illness in Gálvez, Argentina, 2007.
abstract: This study evaluated the magnitude and distribution of acute gastrointestinal illness (GI) in Gálvez, Argentina, and assessed the outcome of a seven-day versus 30-day recall period in survey methodology. A cross-sectional population survey, with either a seven-day or a 30-day retrospective recall period, was conducted through door-to-door visits to randomly-selected residents during the 'high' and the 'low' seasons of GI in the community. Comparisons were made between the annual incidence rates obtained using the seven-day and the 30-day recall period. Using the 30-day recall period, the mean annual incidence rates was 0.43 (low season of GI) and 0.49 (high season of GI) episodes per person-year. Using the seven-day recall period, the mean annual incidence rate was 0.76 (low season of GI) and 2.66 (high season of GI) episodes per person-year. This study highlights the significant burden of GI in a South American community and confirms the importance of seasonality when investigating GI in the population. The findings suggest that a longer recall period may underestimate the burden of GI in retrospective population surveys of GI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada. thomask@uoguelph.ca
authors.forename: M Kate
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Shannon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Majowicz
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reid-Smith
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albil
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monteverde
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McEwen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
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