title: Burden of acute gastrointestinal illness in Denmark 2009: a population-based telephone survey.
abstract: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in Denmark throughout 2009 to determine the incidence of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). Using the Danish population register, a random population sample stratified by gender and age groups was selected and mobile or landline phone numbers found. Representative numbers of interviews were performed by gender, age group and month. A recently proposed international case definition of AGI, including cases with diarrhoea and/or vomiting in a 4-week recall period, was used. A total of 1853 individuals were included and 206 (11·1%) fulfilled the case definition; 78% reported diarrhoea. This corresponds to an overall standardized incidence rate of 1·4 (95% CI 1·2-1·6) episodes of AGI per person-year. The incidence rate was generally higher in the younger age groups; only being 2·3, 1·9 and 0·80 per person-year in the 0-9, 10-39 and ≥40 years age groups, respectively. The incidence rate estimates were considerably higher when calculated from shorter recall periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Korsgaard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ethelberg
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult