title: [Prevalence and determining factors of acquiring C. trachomatis infection among adolescents and young adults in Catalonia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonhorroeae) infections and the risk factors for acquiring them in individuals under 35 years-old attending sexual health clinics in Barcelona province in 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of 500 adolescents and young adults aged between 16 and 35 years. A total of 423 samples were analysed using real-time PCR. A standardised questionnaire was used to collect clinical, epidemiological, and behavioural data on the participants. Significant differences were analysed in the descriptive study using Pearson's ((2). The association between C. trachomatis infection and its determining factors was analysed using the Mantel-Haenszel test and a multivariate logistic regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis was 4%, and was significantly higher in those under 25 years of age. The overall prevalence of N. gonhorroeae was 0.2%. The independent risk factors for infection by C. trachomatis were as follows: foreign origin (OR: 3.74; CI 95%: 1.10-12.72), having had a sexual partner in the last 3 months (OR 3.91; CI 95%: 1.30-11.81), and tobacco use the last 12 months (OR: 4.99; CI 95%: 1.34-18.59).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study performed in Catalonia that shows high prevalence of C. trachomatis in young people, thus confirming trends in the rest of Europe. Systematic monitoring of C. trachomatis infection in sentinel populations will provide valid information allowing us to assess the relevance of proposing targeted screening programs in our setting.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Epidemiológicos sobre las Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual y Sida de Cataluña, ICO/Department de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, España. evelin.lopez@gmail.com
authors.forename: Evelin L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Corbeto
authors.forename: Rossie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lugo
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martró
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falguera
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.forename: Angels
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avecilla
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saludes
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casabona
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D014526:Urethritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000652:urine; D055815:Young Adult