Risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections in children in a Greek region.
A case-control study was conducted in the urban area of Attica, Greece to investigate risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections in children aged <15 years. Over a 2-year period, 205 cases and 205 controls, matched by age group (<1, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14 years) and gender, were selected from the registries of the paediatric hospitals of this area. In conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis, ethnicity [odds ratio (OR) 5·06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·49-10·28], consumption of chicken the week prior to disease onset (OR 1·97, 95% CI 1·10-3·55) and playing in the garden (OR 1·83, 95% CI 1·05-3·19) were independently associated with disease occurrence; consumption of raw vegetables was a 'protective' factor (OR 0·48, 95% CI 0·27-0·85).
Mellou
K
K
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. kmellou@gmail.com
Sourtzi
P
P
Tsakris
A
A
Saroglou
G
G
Velonakis
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002645:Chickens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population